Human rights treaty bodies

The United Nations-linked human rights treaty bodies are committees of independent experts that monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties. They are created in accordance with the provisions of the treaty that they monitor.

Most of these seven bodies are supported by the United Nations.

Human rights treaty bodies

• The Human Rights Committee (HRC) monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966 and its optional protocols.

• The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966.

• The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) monitors implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination of 1965.

• The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women of 1979.

• The Committee Against Torture (CAT) monitors implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of 1987.

• The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989 and its optional protocols.

• The Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW) monitors implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families of 1990.

Each treaty body receives secretariat support from the Treaties and Commission Branch of Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva except CEDAW, which is supported by the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW). CEDAW meets at United Nations headquarters in New York; the other treaty bodies generally meet at the United Nations Office in Geneva, although the Human Rights Committee usually holds its March session in New York City.

External links

• The Human Rights Bodies of the United Nations

• The treaty bodies working together with NGOs - example OMCT