This page provides access to the eight human rights treaty bodies. These treaty bodies monitor the implementation of the nine core international human rights treaties, one of which –Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance—does not have a committee as it has not yet entered into force. The eight treaty bodies, composed of independent experts and termed here as human rights committees, are created in accordance with the provisions of the treaty that they monitor.

Each human rights committee page starts with the text of the treaty and protocol –if existing– followed by an analysis of the committee; its purpose and work processes. The page also provides access to basic documents that are specific to the manner in which each committee works. These work instruments are:

• The working methods of the committee,
• The rules of procedures governing the conduct of the committee’s meetings and deliberations,
• The reporting guidelines to be followed by States parties in preparing their initial and periodic reports.

The State party to each of these human rights treaties undertakes -- in accordance with the provisions of the treaty to which the State is party -- to submit to the relevant treaty body initial and periodic reports on the measures, including legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures, which they have adopted in order to achieve the rights recognized in the treaty.

Core Reports
The common core document – submitted at first to the Secretary-general, then transmitted to each of the treaty bodies -- should contain general information about the reporting State and the general framework for the protection and promotion of human rights.

Initial Reports
The State party must report initially after acceding to the Covenant. The initial report is the State party’s first opportunity to present to the Committee the extent to which its laws and practices comply with the Covenant which it has ratified.

Periodic Reports
The State party is obliged to submit regular reports to the Committee on how the rights are being implemented. The timing for submitting these reports is either dictated by the treaty itself or by the Committee in its examination of the report in the form of “concluding observations.”