The Human Rights Treaty Bodies of the UN
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
Responsible for monitoring the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (4 January 1969).
It can receive individual complaints against States parties that have accepted the declaration under Article 14 ICERD.
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
Responsible for monitoring the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (3 January 1976).
It can receive complaints concerning States parties that have ratifies the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR.
Human Rights Committee (CCPR)
Responsible for monitoring the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (23 March 1976).
It can receive individual complaints against States parties that have ratified the First Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979) and its optional protocol (3 September 1981).
It can receive individual complaints against States parties that have ratified the Optional Protocol to CEDAW.
Committee against Torture (CAT)
Responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (26 June 1987).
It can receive individual complaints against States parties that have accepted the declaration under Article 22 of the CAT.
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT)
Established pursuant to the Optional Protocol of the Convention against Torture (OP-CAT) (22 June 2006), it visits places of detention and provides guidance to States and National Preventative Mechanisms on best practices for preventing torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
Responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (2 September 1990) and its two protocols.
It can receive individual complaints against States parties that have ratifies the Third Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure.
Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)
Responsible for monitoring the implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (1 July 2003).
An individual complaints mechanism is pending and will be initialed once 10 States parties have submitted the relevant declaration under Article 77 of the CMW.
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
​Responsible for monitoring the implementation of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (3 May 2008).
It can receive individual complaints against States parties that have ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention.
Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)
Responsible for monitoring the implementation of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (23 December 2010).
It can receive individual complaints against States parties that have acknowledged the Committee’s competence under Article 31 of the Convention.
