United Nations Treaty Bodies
International Treaty Bodies
The United Nations has established eight international expert committees to monitor states implementation of the core human rights treaties.
Quick links:
- Human Rights Committee
- Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
- Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
- Committee Against Torture (CAT)
- Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
- Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
- Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)
- International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
Human Rights Committee (HRC)
Established: 1976
Composition: 18 independent experts.
Focus: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
How it works:
- State parties must submit a report to the Committee on the measures taken to give effect to its obligations under this Convention, whenever the Committee requests, which is usually every 4 years.
- Having considered the report and shadow reports (issued by National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organisations and others) the Committee subsequently issues an assessment report known as "Concluding Observations", which sets out steps states can take to improve implementation of the Convention.
- The Committee can consider inter-state complaints and one of the two Optional Protocols to the Convention allows the Committee to consider individual complaints concerning alleged violations of civil and political rights.
- The Committee holds general discussions on the relevant rights and may publish general comments on its work and on its interpretation of the Convention.
- The Committee can also consider issues related to the abolition of the death penalty for those states who have accepted the Second Optional Protocol.
- Note: Optional Protocols are in force only in those states who have voluntarily subscribed to them.
ICCPR : Signed by Ireland: 1 Oct 1973 /Ratified by Ireland: 8 December 1989
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
Established: 1985
Composition: 18 independent experts.
Focus: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
How it works:
- State parties must submit a report to the Committee on the measures taken to give effect to its obligations under this Convention every 5 years.
- Having considered the report and shadow reports (issued by National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organisations and others) the Committee subsequently issues an assessment report known as "Concluding Observations", which sets out steps states can take to improve implementation of the Convention.
- Unlike the other committees whose members are elected by the State parties to the respective Convention and report to the General Assembly, the members of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are elected by ECOSOC *, to which they report.
- The Committee holds general discussions on the relevant rights and may publish general comments on its work and on its interpretation of the Convention.
- Under an Optional Protocol to the Convention the Committee can receive and consider individual communications.
- Note: Optional Protocols are in force only in those states who have voluntarily subscribed to them.
ICESCR : Signed by Ireland: 01 October 1973 / Ratified by Ireland: 08 December 1989
* ECOSOC - The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to Member States and the United Nations system (Link : http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/)
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
Established: 1969
Composition: 18 independent experts.
Focus: International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
How it works:
- State parties must submit a report to the Committee on the measures taken to give effect to its obligations under this Convention every 2 years.
- Having considered the report and shadow reports (issued by National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organisations and others) the Committee subsequently issues an assessment report known as "Concluding Observations", which sets out steps states can take to improve implementation of the Convention.
- The Committee holds general discussions on the relevant rights and may publish general comments on its work and on its interpretation of the Convention.
- The Committee can consider both inter-state and individual complaints.
- There are no Optional Protocols to this Convention.
CERD: Signed by Ireland: 21 March 1968 / Ratified by Ireland: 29 December 2000
Read submission by IHRC to the Irish Government in preparation of Ireland's combined third and fourth periodic reports to the UN CERD Committee.
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Established: 1981
Composition: 23 independent experts.
Focus: Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
How it works:
- State parties must submit a report to the Committee on the measures taken to give effect to its obligations under this Convention every 4 years.
- Having considered the report and shadow reports (issued by National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organisations and others) the Committee subsequently issues an assessment report known as "General Recommendations", which sets out steps states can take to improve implementation of the Convention.
- The Committee holds general discussions on the relevant rights and may publish general comments on its work and on its interpretation of the Convention.
- Under the Optional Protocol to the Convention, the Committee accepts individual complaints of alleged violations of the Convention and it may also initiate inquiries into alleged violations of the Convention in States party to it.
- Note: Optional Protocols are in force only in those states who have voluntarily subscribed to them.
CEDAW: Ratified by Ireland: 23 December 1985
Committee Against Torture (CAT)
Established: 1987
Composition: 10 independent experts
Focus: Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
How it works:
- State parties must submit a report every 4 years to the Committee on their implementation of the Convention.
- Having considered the report and shadow reports (issued by National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organisations and others) the Committee subsequently issues an assessment report known as "Concluding Observations", which sets out steps states can take to improve implementation of the Convention.
- Under the Convention, the Committee can accept individual complaints of alleged violations of the Convention and it may also initiate inquiries into alleged violations of the Convention in states party to it.
- The Committee holds general discussions on the relevant rights and may publish general comments on its work and on its interpretation of the Convention.
- Under the Optional Protocol to the Convention, a subcommittee has the mandate to visit and inspect places where persons are deprived of their liberty in each of the states party to the Convention and Optional Protocol.
- Note: Optional Protocols are in force only in those states who have voluntarily subscribed to them.
CAT: Signed by Ireland: 28 September 1992 / Ratified by Ireland: 11 April 2002
Optional Protocol CAT: Signed by Ireland: 2 October 2007 / Not yet ratified by Ireland.
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
Established: 1991
Composition: 10 independent experts
Focus: Convention on the Rights of the Child.
How it works:
- State parties to the convention must submit a report every 5 years to the Committee on their implementation of the Convention.
- Having considered the report and shadow reports (issued by National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organisations and others) the Committee subsequently issues an assessment report known as "Concluding Observations", which sets out steps states can take to improve implementation of the Convention.
- The Committee also investigates reports relating to the involvement of children in armed conflict, and regarding the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, from those states which have ratified the two optional protocols to the Convention.
- The Committee holds general discussions on the relevant rights and may publish general comments on its work and on its interpretation of the Convention.
- The Committee cannot consider individual complaints.
- Note: Optional Protocols are in force only in those states who have voluntarily subscribed to them.
CRC: Signed by Ireland: 30 September 1990 / Ratified by Ireland:28 September 1992
Optional Protocol CRC: involvement of Children in armed conflict Signed by Ireland: 07 September 2000 / Ratified by Ireland: 18 November 2002
Optional Protocol CRC:: sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography Signed by Ireland: 7 September 2000 / Not yet ratified by Ireland.
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Established: 2008
Composition: 18 independent experts.
Focus: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
How it works:
- State parties to the convention must submit a report every 4 years to the Committee on their implementation of the Convention.
- Having considered the report and shadow reports (issued by National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organisations and others) the Committee subsequently issues an assessment report known as "Concluding Observations", which sets out steps states can take to improve implementation of the Convention.
- The Committee holds general discussions on the relevant rights and may publish general comments on its work and on its interpretation of the Convention.
- The Committee may investigate individual complaints.
CRPD - Signed by Ireland on 30 March 2007 / Not yet ratified by Ireland.
Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)
Established: 2004
Composition: 14 independent experts.
Focus: International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families
How it works:
- State parties to the convention must submit a report every 5 years to the Committee on their implementation of the Convention.
- Having considered the report and shadow reports (issued by National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organisations and others) the Committee subsequently issues an assessment report known as "Concluding Observations", which sets out steps states can take to improve implementation of the Convention.
- The Committee holds general discussions on the relevant rights and may publish general comments on its work and on its interpretation of the Convention.
- At present, the Committee cannot consider individual complaints, but will have the capacity to do so once 10 state parties have accepted this procedure.
CMW: Ireland has neither signed, nor ratified this Convention.
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
Established: Not yet established - Convention not in force.
Composition: Once it enters into force, a committee will be established consisting of 10 independent experts.
Focus: International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
How it works:
- This Convention is not yet in force therefore the Committee is not yet formed.
- State parties to the convention will have to submit a report on the measures taken to give effect to its obligations under this Convention, within two years after the entry into force of this Convention for the State Party concerned.
- Having considered the report and shadow reports (issued by National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organisations and others) the Committee subsequently will issue an assessment report known as "Concluding Observations", which will set out steps states can take to improve implementation of the Convention.
CPPED: Ireland has neither signed, nor ratified this Convention.
For more information about Special procedures and links to each individual Treaty Body homepage click here.
To find out which Ireland's most recent ratification status click here.