Other UN Treaty Bodies

The human rights treaty bodies are committees of independent experts that monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties.

Each Treaty Body assesses the steps taken by States to ensure that everyone, including children, can enjoy the rights set out in its specific treaty. Even if the UN Committee on the rights of the child is the specialized body for children’s rights, the recommendations made by other Treaty Bodies can be of high relevance for children’s rights defenders.

Child Rights Mainstreaming

For the first time, children had the opportunity to have their thoughts and ideas included in the process of drafting a General Comment by the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UN CESCR)!

Two members of the CESCR Committee Drafting Group, Mr Peters Emuze and Mr Michael Windfuhr, have prepared videos to give an update to all the children that participated in the consultation on where they are in the development of the General Comments. In these short videos, they also reflect on why these consultations were important and what were the main takeaways from the discussion with children.

Check out the videos!

(We are in the process of updating this page. Check back soon for more information.)

TB-Net

In February 2017, Child Rights Connect co-founded TB-Net to better empower children’s rights defenders to use the treaty bodies as a system and to mainstream children’s rights within it. TB-Net is an informal group of international NGOs and networks working in strategic partnerships with the UN Treaty Bodies.

TB-Net comprises the following members: Centre for Civil and Political Rights (CCPR Centre), Child Rights Connect, the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR), the International Disability Alliance (IDA), The International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), International Womens’ Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).

Newsletter – Sign up to receive useful information for the engagement with the United Nations Treaty Bodies on a regular basis, in English, French and Spanish!

TB-Net mission

Support and enhance the effectiveness of the UN Treaty Bodies so that they can better contribute to the realisation of the human rights of all persons.

We believe that Treaty Bodies to be effective need to:

  • Have quality, independent and diverse membership;
  • Develop clear, coherent and context-relevant recommendations;
  • Have transparent, accessible, inclusive and victim-oriented processes and procedures;
  • Create spaces for meaningful and safe engagement of civil society and human rights defenders and consider their views;
  • Be visible and vocal within the broader UN human rights system and externally.

  • Strengthening the participation of civil society and rights holders in the work of treaty bodies
  • Advocate for quality, independence and diversity of treaty body membership: watch our side event on TB elections and read the final report
  • Promote coherence and push for developments of treaty bodies jurisprudences with legal analysis of recommendations
  • Advocating for effective working methods and procedures, especially follow-up procedures to treaty bodies recommendations

  • Summary Report TB- Net & Amnesty International Event on Treaty Body Elections – 15th November 2018, Geneva

On the 15th of November 2018, Child Rights Connect as part of TB-Net with Amnesty International held a meeting which will focus on “Good practices, challenges and concrete proposals for improving the nominations and elections processes with the objective of promoting quality, independence and diversity of treaty body members”.

Here you can find the Report in English

This is the summary report of a roundtable working meeting under the Chatham house rule to discuss amongst States and other key stakeholders including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and NGOs, the current nominations and elections processes for Treaty Body membership, and proposals for improvements which aim to enhance the quality, independence and diversity of Treaty Body membership.

  • Side Event  on ‘Promoting Quality, Independence and Diversity of Treaty Body Membership‘  – 1st June 2018, NY

At the 30th meeting of Chairpersons of Human Rights Treaty Bodies (29 May – 1 June) in New York, TB-Net organized a side event on “Promoting Quality, Independence and Diversity of Treaty Body Membership”, with the aim to examine challenges and good practices in promoting these principles.

Find the concept note here and the recorded event here

  • Event on ‘Promoting Quality, Independence and Diversity of Treaty Body Membership’ – 2nd  November 2017, Geneva

In November 2017, Child Rights Connect as part of TB-Net  hosted an event to discuss: ‘Promoting Quality, Independence and Diversity of Treaty Body membership: the importance of transparent and participatory nominations and election processe’, with the aim to discuss the importance of quality, independence and diversity in TB membership and sought to identify challenges and good practices in promoting these principles as well as practical ways to move forward.

Find the report here and the recorded event here

Our member network has a broad reach and works in every country in the world.

It is unique in its global outreach and its diversity, constituting a strong and credible global voice on children’s rights.

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