By Ursula Siegfried Coordinator NGO Welcome Desk The United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms IARF Workshop

1.Independent Experts vs. State representatives 2.Treaty Bodies vs. Charter-based bodies 3.Treaty Bodies: Human Rights treaties and Committees 4.Charter-based bodies: Human Rights Council, ECOSOC, UN General Assembly

Independent Experts vs. State representatives Independent Experts – Examples: Treaty-bodies, Special Procedures State representatives – Examples: HR Council, General Assembly

Treaty bodies vs. Charter-based bodies Treaty-bodies – Established by a human rights treaty – Competence for rights covered by the treaty – Obligations for State parties to the treaty – Examples: Human Rights Committee, Committee for the Rights of the Child Charter-based bodies : – Mechanisms derive from the UN Charter – Competence according to resolution creating the mechanism – Potentially obligations for all UN member States – Examples: Human Rights Council, Special Procedures

Treaty bodies TreatyTreaty-body International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Human Rights Committee (CCPR) International Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Convention against TortureCommittee against Torture (CAT) Convention on the Rights of the ChildCommittee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Convention on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)

Treaty bodies - Functioning Composed of independent experts Reporting procedure & NGO shadow reports General comments Individual complaints / Communications procedure Country Visits (CEDAW-OP, CAT, SPT, CRPD)

Treaty bodies - Issues Ratification (treaty and OPs) Reservations Delays in submitting reports Independence of Committee members Harmonisation of treaty-body system

Treaty bodies – Useful contacts Treaty- body Specialised NGOs CESCR Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Network (ESCR-Net) Europe Third-World Centre (CETIM) CCPRCentre for Civil and Political Rights (CCPR Centre) CERD Int. Movement against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) Movement Against Racism and for Friendship between Peoples (MRAP) CEDAW International Women's Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) Asia Pacific Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) CAT World Organisation against Torture (OMCT) Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) CRCNGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child CMW? CRPDInternational Disability Alliance (IDA) CEDInternational Coalition against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED)

Charter-based Bodies Human Rights Council – Special Procedures (in separate presentation) – Universal Periodic Review (in separate presentation) – Expert Mechanism on Indigenous Peoples – Forum on Minority Issues – Social Forum – Advisory Committee – Complaints Procedure Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) – Committee on NGOs – Commission on the Status of Women – Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues UN General Assembly – Third Committee – Human Rights Council

Human Rights Council Sessions – Regular Sessions: 3 x per year – Special Sessions: on request of 1/3 of HRC members Members – 47 member stats – Elected by General Assembly for 3 years – Seats allocated by regional group Agenda – 10 standing agenda items

HR Council – Subsidiary bodies Expert Mechanism on Indigenous Peoples – 5 independent experts appointed by HRC – Thematic advise & studies; proposals – One annual session in July – Funding for participation through Voluntary Fund Forum on Minority Issues – Chaired by Independent Expert on Minority Issues – Implementation of Declaration on rights of minorities – One annual session in November/December Social Forum – Open to large range of actors – Social justice, equity, solidarity, globalisation

HR Council – Subsidiary bodies Advisory Committee (formerly Sub- commission) – “Think-tank” composed of 18 experts: studies & research Complaints Procedure (formerly 1503) – Confidential! – Addresses gross and systematic violations of all human rights – WG on Communications -> WG on Situations -> HR Council

Human Rights Council – Useful contacts NGO Welcome Desk – Civil Society Section of OHCHR – DoCip (on indigenous peoples) – Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (on women’s rights) – UPR Info (on UPR) – Forum Asia (on South-East Asia) –

ECOSOC Committee on NGOs – ECOSOC consultative status Commission on the Status of Women – 45 member states elected by ECOSOC – Reports, recommendations, policy and standard setting – Follow-up to 1995 World Conference on Women Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues – Composed of 16 experts – Advises ECOSOC and UN programmes, funds and agencies – Topics: economic and social development, environment, health, human rights, culture, and education – Coordination of indigenous issues within UN – One session per year

UN General Assembly & Third Committee Topics: – women, children, indigenous peoples, refugees, racial discrimination, self-determination, youth, family, ageing, disabilities, crime prevention, criminal justice, control Report of Human Rights Council Reports of Special Procedures mandate holders Reports of Chairpersons of HRC Working Groups Resolutions – Mostly thematic, some country-specific – Examples: HR defenders, torture; Syria, Myanmar, DPRK

Other UN mechanisms – Useful contacts Conference of NGOs in consultative status (CoNGO) – Thematic Committees: – Committee on Human Rights – Sub-Committee on Freedom of Religion and Belief – Committee on the Status of Women – Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns – Committee on Youth – ww.ngocongo.org Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) –

Questions ? Practical info for NGOswww.mandint.org Info on HR Council Database of treatieswww.whatconvention.org Database of UN docswww.universalhumanrightsindex.org For HR Defenderswww.ishr.ch