Human Rights Bodies

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) works to offer the best expertise and
support to the different human rights monitoring mechanisms in the United Nations system : UN Charter-
based bodies, including the Human Rights Council, and bodies created under the international human rights
treaties and made up of independent experts mandated to monitor State parties' compliance with their
treaty obligations. Most of these bodies receive secretariat support from the Human Rights Council and
Treaties Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Charter-based bodies

 Human Rights Council

 Universal Periodic Review
 Commission on Human Rights (replaced by the Human Rights Council)
 Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council
 Human Rights Council Complaint Procedure

Treaty-based bodies

There are ten human rights treaty bodies that monitor implementation of the core

international human rights treaties:

 Human Rights Committee (CCPR)

 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) 
 Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT)
 Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
 Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)
 Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
 Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)

Charter-based bodies

Charter bodies include the former Commission on Human Rights, the Human Rights Council , and Special
Procedures. The Human Rights Council, which replaced the Commission on Human Rights, held its first
meeting on 19 June 2006. This intergovernmental body, which meets in Geneva 10 weeks a year, is
composed of 47 elected United Nations Member States who serve for an initial period of 3 years, and cannot
be elected for more than two consecutive terms. The Human Rights Council is a forum empowered to
prevent abuses, inequity and discrimination, protect the most vulnerable, and expose perpetrators.

The Human Rights Council is a separate entity from OHCHR. This distinction originates from the separate
mandates they were given by the General Assembly. Nevertheless, OHCHR provides substantive support for
the meetings of the Human Rights Council, and follow-up to the Council's deliberations.
Special Procedures is the general name given to the mechanisms established by the Commission on Human
Rights and assumed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or thematic
issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures are either an individual –a special rapporteur or
independent expert—or a working group. They are prominent, independent experts working on a voluntary
basis, appointed by the Human Rights Council.

Special Procedures' mandates usually call on mandate-holders to examine, monitor, advise and publicly
report on human rights situations in specific countries or territories, known as country mandates, or on
human rights issues of particular concern worldwide, known as thematic mandates. All report to the Human
Rights Council on their findings and recommendations, and many also report to the General Assembly. They
are sometimes the only mechanism that will alert the international community to certain human rights
issues, as they can address situations in all parts of the world without the requirement for countries to have
had ratified a human rights instrument.

As of 1 November 2014, there are 39 thematic mandates and 14 country mandates.

OHCHR supports the work of rapporteurs, independent experts and working groups through its Special
Procedures Branch (SPB) which services all but one of the thematic mandates and provides centralised
support to the Special Procedures as a system. The Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division
(FOTCD) supports the work of country-mandates.

Treaty-based bodies

There are ten core international human rights treaties, the most recent one -- on enforced disappearance --
entered into force on 23 December 2010. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in
1948, all UN Member States have ratified at least one core international human rights treaty, and 80 percent
have ratified four or more.

There are currently ten human rights treaty bodies, which are committees of independent experts. Nine of
these treaty bodies monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties while the tenth
treaty body, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, established under the Optional Protocol to the
Convention against Torture, monitors places of detention in States parties to the Optional Protocol.

The treaty bodies are created in accordance with the provisions of the treaty that they monitor. OHCHR
supports the work of treaty bodies and assists them in harmonizing their working methods and reporting
requirements through their secretariats. 

There are other United Nations bodies and entities involved in the promotion and protection of human rights

Other United Nations Bodies

Other UN bodies and entities involved in human rights promotion and protection

There are several other important United Nations bodies which are concerned with the promotion and
protection of human rights. These bodies are not serviced by OHCHR and include:

 United Nations General Assembly

 Third Committee of the General Assembly
 Economic and Social Council
 International Court of Justice

Find Further information about the promotion and protection of human rights on the UN website.

Many United Nations agencies and partners are also involved in the promotion and protection of human
rights and interact with the main human rights bodies:

 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
 Inter-Agency Internal Displacement Division
 International Labour Organization
 World Health Organization
 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
  Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
 Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)
 DESA (Department of Economic and Social Affairs)
 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
 Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women (OSAGI)
 Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW)
 United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
 United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
 United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women)
 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
 United Nations Human Settlements Programme (HABITAT)

United Nations Mine Action

Philippines and UN Charter-based Bodies

Body Session Date Symbol Title Documents

Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh,

Belgium, Ethiopia, Fiji, France,
Georgia, Germany, Haiti, Ireland,
Kenya, Kiribati, Marshall Islands,
Micronesia (Federated States of),
Peru, Philippines, Portugal,
HRC 32nd 28/06/2016 A/HRC/32/L.34 EFSACR
Romania, Seychelles, State of
Palestine, Sudan, Sweden, the
former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Tunisia, Viet Nam:
draft resolution - 32/… Human
rights and climate change

Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Egypt, Libya, Maldives, Monaco,
Montenegro, Pakistan, Paraguay,
Philippines, Qatar, Republic of
Moldova, Saudi Arabia, Somalia,
HRC 32nd 28/06/2016 A/HRC/32/L.30 EFSACR
Sudan, Thailand, Turkey, United
Arab Emirates, United States of
America, : draft resolution - 32/…
Realizing the equal enjoyment of
the right to education by every girl

32/…Protection of the human

rights of migrants: strengthening
HRC 32nd 28/06/2016 A/HRC/32/L.22 the promotion and protection of EFSACR
the human rights of migrants,
including in large movements

HRC 32nd 27/06/2016 A/HRC/32/L.1 32/… Youth and human rights EFSACR

Bolivia (Plurinational State of),

Cuba, Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea, Ecuador,
HRC 32nd 24/06/2016 A/HRC/32/L.17 Eritrea, Mexico, Nicaragua, EFSACR
Philippines, Venezuela (Bolivarian
Republic of): draft resolution - 32/
… The Social Forum
 Report of the Special Rapporteur
on the human rights of internally
HRC 32nd 06/06/2016 A/HRC/32/35/Add.5 displaced persons on his mission E
to the Philippines: comments by
the State

Report of the Special Rapporteur

on the human rights of internally
HRC 32nd 05/04/2016 A/HRC/32/35/Add.3 EFSACR
displaced persons on his mission
to the Philippines

Report of the Special Rapporteur

on the right to food on her mission
HRC 31st 19/02/2016 A/HRC/31/51/Add.3 E
to the Philippines: comments by
the State

Written statement submitted by

the Society for Threatened
Peoples, a non-governmental
HRC 31st 18/02/2016 A/HRC/31/NGO/78 E
organization in special consultative
status - Situation of the Lumad
people in Mindanao, Philippines

Report of the Special Rapporteur

HRC 31st 29/12/2015 A/HRC/31/51/Add.1 on the right to food on her mission E F S A C R
to Philippines

Opinions adopted by the Working

Group on Arbitrary Detention at its
seventy-third session, 31 August-4
HRC   16/11/2015 A/HRC/WGAD/2015/24 EFSACR
September 2015 - Opinion No.
24/2015 concerning Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo (the Philippines)

Written statement submitted by

the Society for Threatened
HRC 30th 04/09/2015 A/HRC/30/NGO/70 E
Peoples. Situation of indigenous
activists

Written statement submitted by

the Asian Legal Resource Centre.
HRC 29th 05/06/2015 A/HRC/29/NGO/56 Philippines: government policy and E
practice defeat UN’s objective to
eliminate killings

Written statement submitted by

the Asian Legal Resource Centre.
HRC 29th 05/06/2015 A/HRC/29/NGO/55 Philippines: government uses law E
and policy to violate rights to
peaceful assembly and association

Report of the Special Rapporteur

on the situation of human rights
defenders, Michel Forst -
HRC 28th 04/03/2015 A/HRC/28/63/Add.1 E
Addendum - Observations on
communications transmitted to
Governments and replies received
Philippines and UN Treaty Bodies

Ratification Date,
Signature
Treaty Accession(a),
Date
Succession(d) Date

 
    |      

CAT - Convention against Torture and Other Cruel   18 Jun 1986 (a)
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
CAT-OP - Optional Protocol of the Convention against   17 Apr 2012 (a)
Torture
CCPR - International Covenant on Civil and Political 19 Dec 1966 23 Oct 1986
Rights
CCPR-OP2-DP - Second Optional Protocol to the
20 Sep 2006 20 Nov 2007
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
aiming to the abolition of the death penalty
CED - Convention for the Protection of All Persons  
from Enforced Disappearance
CEDAW - Convention on the Elimination of All Forms 15 Jul 1980 05 Aug 1981
of Discrimination against Women
CERD - International Convention on the Elimination 07 Mar 1966 15 Sep 1967
of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
CESCR - International Covenant on Economic, Social 19 Dec 1966 07 Jun 1974
and Cultural Rights
CMW - International Convention on the Protection of
15 Nov 1993 05 Jul 1995
the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of
Their Families
26 Jan 1990 21 Aug 1990
CRC - Convention on the Rights of the Child
CRC-OP-AC - Optional Protocol to the Convention on
08 Sep 2000 26 Aug 2003
the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children
in armed conflict
CRC-OP-SC - Optional Protocol to the Convention on
08 Sep 2000 28 May 2002
the Rights of the Child on the sale of children child
prostitution and child pornography
CRPD - Convention on the Rights of Persons with 25 Sep 2007 15 Apr 2008
Disabilities

Acceptance of individual complaints procedures for Philippines

 Acceptance of
Date of
individual
Treaty acceptance/non
complaints
acceptance
procedures

 
    |      

CAT, Art.22 - Individual complaints procedure under -  

the Convention against Torture
CCPR-OP1 - Optional Protocol to the International YES 22 Aug 1989
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
CED, Art.31 - Individual complaints procedure under
-  
the International Convention for the Protection of
All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
CEDAW-OP - Optional Protocol to the Convention on
YES 12 Nov 2003
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women
CERD, Art.14 - Individual complaints procedure
N/A  
under the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
CESCR-OP - Optional protocol to the International NO  
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
CMW, Art.77 - Individual complaints procedure
under the International Convention on the N/A  
Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and
Members of Their Families
CRC-OP-IC - Optional Protocol to the Convention on NO  
the Rights of the Child
CRPD-OP - Optional protocol to the Convention on NO  
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Acceptance of the inquiry procedure for Philippines

Acceptance of Date of
Treaty inquiry acceptance/non
procedure acceptance

 
    |      

CAT, Art.20 - Inquiry procedure under the Convention YES 18 Jun 1986
against Torture
CED, Art.33 - Inquiry procedure under the
-  
International Convention for the Protection of All
Persons from Enforced Disappearance
CEDAW-OP, Art. 8-9 - Inquiry procedure under the YES 12 Nov 2003
Optional protocol to the Convention on the
 Acceptance of Date of
Treaty inquiry acceptance/non
procedure acceptance

Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against

Women
CESCR-OP, Art.11 - Inquiry procedure under the
-  
Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
CRC-OP-IC, Art.13 - Inquiry procedure under the
-  
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of
the Child
CRPD-OP, Art.6-7 - Inquiry procedure under the -  
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

In international politics, protocol is the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state. It may also refer to an
international agreement that supplements or amends a treaty. A protocol is a rule which describes how
an activity should be performed, especially in the field of diplomacy.

The Core International Human Rights Instruments and their monitoring

bodies

There are 9 core international human rights instruments. Each of these  instruments has established a
committee of experts to monitor implementation of the treaty provisions by its States parties. Some of the
treaties are supplemented by optional protocols dealing with specific concerns whereas the Optional Protocol
to the Convention against Torture establishes a committee of experts.

  Date Monitoring
 
Body
ICERD International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial 21 Dec CERD
Discrimination 1965
ICCPR 16 Dec CCPR
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
1966
ICESCR 16 Dec CESCR
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
1966
CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against 18 Dec CEDAW
Women 1979
CAT Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading 10 Dec CAT
Treatment or Punishment 1984
CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child 20 Nov CRC
1989
ICMW International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant 18 Dec CMW
Workers and Members of Their Families 1990
CPED International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from 20 Dec CED
Enforced Disappearance 2006
CRPD 13 Dec CRPD
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
2006
ICESCR - Optional Protocol to the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural 10 Dec CESCR
OP Rights 2008
ICCPR- Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political 16 Dec CCPR
OP1 Rights 1966
ICCPR- Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and 15 Dec CCPR
OP2 Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty 1989
OP- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of 10 Dec CEDAW
CEDAW Discrimination against Women 1999
OP-CRC- Optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the 25 May CRC
AC involvement of children in armed conflict 2000
OP-CRC- Optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the 25 May CRC
SC sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography 2000
OP-CRC- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a 14 Apr CRC
IC communications procedure 2014
OP-CAT Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, 18 Dec SPT
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 2002
OP-CRPD Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with 12 Dec CRPD
Disabilities 2006

A Summary of
United Nations Agreements
on Human Rights

Contents

 Universal Declaration of Human Rights

 Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
 Optional Protocol to the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
 Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
 Convention Against Torture
 Convention Against Genocide
 The Geneva Conventions
 Convention on the Rights of the Child
 Convention on Eliminiation of Discrimination Against Women
 Charter of the United Nations

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The UDHR is the first international statement to use the term "human rights", and has been adopted by the Human
Rights movement as a charter. It is short, and worth reading in its entirety -- a summary would be about as long as
the document itself.

Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

This covenant details the basic civil and political rights of individuals and nations. Among the rights of nations are:

 the right to self determination

 the right to own, trade, and dispose of their property freely, and not be deprived of their means of
subsistence

Among the rights of individuals are:

 the right to legal recourse when their rights have been violated, even if the violator was acting in an official
capacity
 the right to life
 the right to liberty and freedom of movement
 the right to equality before the law
 the right to presumption of innocence til proven guilty
 the right to appeal a conviction
 the right to be recognized as a person before the law
  the right to privacy and protection of that privacy by law
 freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
 freedom of opinion and expression
 freedom of assembly and association

The covenant forbids torture and inhuman or degrading treatment, slavery or involuntary servitude, arbitrary arrest
and detention, and debtor's prisons. It forbids propaganda advocating either war or hatred based on race, religion,
national origin, or language.

It provides for the right of people to choose freely whom they will marry and to found a family, and requires that
the duties and obligations of marriage and family be shared equally between partners. It guarantees the rights of
children and prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin, or language.

It also restricts the death penalty to the most serious of crimes, guarantees condemned people the right to
appeal for commutation to a lesser penalty, and forbids the death penalty entirely for people under 18 years of
age.

The covenant permits governments to temporarily suspend some of these rights in cases of civil emergency
only, and lists those rights which cannot be suspended for any reason. It also establishes the UN Human Rights
Commission.

After almost two decades of negotiations and rewriting, the text of the Universal Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights was agreed upon in 1966. In 1976, after being ratified by the required 35 states, it became international
law.

Optional Protocol to the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

The protocol adds legal force to the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by allowing the Human Rights Commission
to investigate and judge complaints of human rights violations from individuals from signator countries.

Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

This covenant describes the basic economic, social, and cultural rights of individuals and nations, including the right
to:

 self-determination
 wages sufficient to support a minimum standard of living
 equal pay for equal work
 equal opportunity for advancement
 form trade unions
 strike
 paid or otherwise compensated maternity leave
 free primary education, and accessible education at all levels
 copyright, patent, and trademark protection for intellectual property

In addition, this convention forbids exploitation of children, and requires all nations to cooperate to end world
hunger. Each nation which has ratified this covenant is required to submit annual reports on its progress in providing
for these rights to the Secretary General, who is to transmit them to the Economic and Social Council.

The text of this covenant was finalized in 1966 along with that of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, but
has not been ratified yet.

UN Convention on the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces (I)
Also called the first Geneva Convention
The first Geneva Convention focuses on the rights of individuals, combatants and non-combatants, during war. It is
lengthy and detailed, perhaps because human rights are rarely at such risk as during war and, in particular, involving
prisoners of war or enemy captives.

Convention against Genocide

This convention bans acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or
religious group. It declares genocide a crime under international law whether committed during war or peacetime,
and binds all signators of the convention to to take measures to prevent and punish any acts of genocide committed
within their jurisdiction. The act bans killing of members of any racial, ethnic, national or religious group because of
their membership in that group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, inflicting on
members of the group conditions of life intended to destroy them, imposing measures intended to prevent births
within the group, and taking group members' children away from them and giving them to members of another
group.

It declares genocide itself, conspiracy or incitement to commit genocide, attempts to commit orcomplicity in the
commission of genocide all to be illegal. Individuals are to be held responsible for these acts whether they were
acting in their official capacities or as private individuals. Signators to the convention are bound to enact
appropriate legislation to make the acts named in Article 3 illegal under their national law and provide
appropriate penalties for violators.

People suspected of acts of genocide may be tried by a national tribunal in the territory where the acts were
committed or by a properly constituted international tribunal whose jurisdiction is recognized by the state or
states involved. For purposes of extradition, an allegation of genocide is not to be considered a political crime,
and states are bound to extradite suspects in accordance with national laws and treaties. Any state party to the
Convention may also call upon the United Nations to act to prevent or punish acts of genocide.

The remainder of the Convention specifies procedures for resolving disputes between nations about whether a
specific act or acts constitute(s) genocide, and gives procedures for ratification of the convention.

Convention against Torture

This convention bans torture under all circumstances and establishes the UN Committee against Torture. In
particular, it defines torture, requires states to take effective legal and other measures to prevent torture, declares
that no state of emergency, other external threats, nor orders from a superior officer or authority may be invoked to
justify torture. It forbids countries to return a refugee to his country if there is reason to believe he/she will be
tortured, and requires host countries to consider the human rights record of the person's native country in making
this decision.

The CAT requires states to make torture illegal and provide appropriate punishment for those who commit
torture. It requires states to assert jurisdiction when torture is committed within their jurisdiction, either
investigate and prosecute themselves, or upon proper request extradite suspects to face trial before another
competent court. It also requires states to cooperate with any civil proceedings against accused torturers.

Each state is obliged to provide training to law enforcement and military on torture prevention, keep its
interrogation methods under review, and promptly investigate any allegations that its officials have committed
torture in the course of their official duties. It must ensure that individuals who allege that someone has
committed torture against them are permitted to make and official complaint and have it investigated, and, if the
complaint is proven, receive compensation, including full medical treatment and payments to survivors if the
victim dies as a result of torture.. It forbids states to admit into evidence during a trial any confession or
statement made during or as a result of torture. It also forbids activities which do not rise to the level of torture,
but which constitute cruel or degrading treatment.

The second part of the Convention establishes the Committee Against Torture, and sets out the rules on its
membership and activities.

The Convention was passed and opened for ratification in February, 1985. At that time twenty nations signed,
and five more signed within the month. At present sixty five nations have ratified the Convention against torture
and sixteen more have signed but not yet ratified it.

Convention on Eliminiation of Discrimination Against Women

This convention bans discrimination against women. The copy of the Convention on Women presently accessible
through this page is a fully- indexed HTML document. A linked summary of the document will be written in the next
few weeks.
Convention on the Rights of the Child
This convention bans discrimination against children and provides for special protection and rights appropriate to
minors. The copy of the Convention on the Rights of the Child presently accessible through this page is a fully-
indexed HTML document. A linked summary of the document will be written in the next few weeks.

Charter of the United Nations

The Charter of the United Nations contains some important human rights provisions, in addition to containing the
framework for the organization as a whole. This is a fully indexed HTML version of the charter. A summary will be
written at some future date.

What is an Optional Protocol?

Very often, human rights treaties are followed by "Optional Protocols" which may either provide for
procedures with regard to the treaty or address a substantive area related to the treaty. Optional
Protocols to human rights treaties are treaties in their own right, and are open to signature,
accession or ratification by countries who are party to the main treaty.

The optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women includes:

 The Communications Procedure

Gives individuals and groups of women the right to complain to the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women about violations of the Convention.  this
procedure is known as "the communications procedure". United Nations communications
procedures provide the right to petition or the right to complain about violations of rights.
Under all procedures, the complaint must be in writing.
 The Inquiry Procedure
It enables the Committee to conduct inquiries into grave or systematic abu 06-Nov-2006 e
party to the Optional Protocol.  Known as an inquiry procedure, this capacity is found in
article 8 of the Optional Protocol.

The optional protocol includes an inquiry procedure, as well as a complaints procedure. An inquiry
procedure enables the Committee to conduct inquiries into serious and systematic abuses of
women's human rights in countries that become States parties to the Optional Protocol. It is
modelled on an existing human rights inquiry procedure, article 20 of the International Convention
Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The inquiry
procedure:

 Allows investigation of substantial abuses of women's human rights by an international

body of experts;
 Is useful where individual communications fail to reflect the systemic nature of widespread
violations of women's rights;
 Allows widespread violations to be investigated where individuals or groups may be unable
to make communications (for practical reasons or because of fear of reprisals);
 Gives the Committee an opportunity to make recommendations regarding the structural
causes of violations;

Allows the Committee to address a broad range of issues in a particular country.