The Future of UN Human Rights Treaty Monitoring

Cambridge University Press, 11/26/2010
EAN 9780521645744, ISBN10: 0521645743

Paperback, 600 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 3.8 cm
Language: English

Every state in the world has undertaken human rights obligations on the basis of UN treaties. Today's challenge is to enhance the effectiveness of procedures and institutions established to promote the accountability of governments. The six treaty bodies that monitor and evaluate state policies and practices play a vital role, but the whole system has been stretched almost to breaking point. It is under-funded, many governments fail to report or do so very late or superficially, there is a growing backlog of individual complaints, broad reservations have been lodged by many states, and the expertise of committee members has been questioned. This volume contains detailed analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of the system, written by leading participants in the work of the treaty bodies. Their recommendations provide a blueprint for far-reaching reform of a system of major importance for the future of international efforts to protect human rights.

1. The UN human rights treaty system
a system in crisis? James Crawford and Philip Alston
Part I. The UN Human Rights Monitoring System in Action
2. Individual chains in a world of massive violations
what role for the human rights committee? Henry Steiner
3. Decision-taking in the committee on the elimination of racial discrimination Michael Banton
4. The committee on the elimination of discrimination against women Mara R. Bustelo
5. The reporting process under the convention on the rights of the child Gerrison Lansdown
6. The committee on economic, social and cultural rights
catalyst for change in a system needing reform Scott Leckie
7. Country-orientated procedures under the convention against torture
towards a new dynamism Roland Bank
8. UN human rights reporting procedures
an NGO perspective Andrew Clapham
Part II. National Influences and Responses
9. Making human rights treaty obligations a reality
working with new actors and partners Anne Gallagher
10. Domestic implementation of international human rights treaties
Nordic and Baltic experiences Martin Scheinin
11. The domestic impact of international human rights
the Japanese experience Yuji Iwasawa
12. The role of human rights treaties in domestic law
the southern African experience John Dugard
13. Uses and abuses of the treaty reporting procedure
Hong Kong between two systems Andrew Byrnes
14. The United States and the international human rights treaty system
for export only? Stefanie Grant
Part III. Regional and Sectoral Comparisons
15. Reporting in the inter-American system of human rights protection Antônio Cançado Trindade
16. The reporting system of the European social charter David Harris
17. The role of reporting in international environmental treaties
lessons for human rights supervision Daniel Bodansky
Part IV. Common Challenges for the Treaty Bodies
18. The problem of overlapping among different treaty bodies Eric Tistounet
19. Bodies of knowledge
a diversity promotion role for the UN High Commissioner for human rights? Craig Scott
20. Treaty bodies in states of emergency
the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina Michael O'Flaherty
21. Ensuring effective supervisory procedures
the need for resources Elizabeth Evatt
22. Servicing and financing human rights supervision Markus Schmidt
Part V. Looking into the Future
23. Beyond 'them' and 'us'
putting treaty body reform into perspective Philip Alston.