Foreword xi
Acknowledgements xv
Abbreviations xvii
Glossary xix
Chapter I. The Principal UN Human Rights Treaties 1
1. Introduction 1
2. The Basic International Rules 4
a) What Is a Treaty? 4
b) What Is the Effect of a Treaty? 4
c) How Does a State Become Bound by a Treaty? 4
d) When Does a State Become Bound by a Treaty? 5
e) What Obligations Has a State Undertaken? 5
f) Optional Undertakings 6
3. The Four Principal UN Human Rights Treaties Containing Complaint Mechanisms 6
a) The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 6
i) Object 6
ii) Adoption and Entry into Force 7
iii) Obligations Undertaken by States Parties 7
iv) Summary of Substantive Rights 7
v) The Second Optional Protocol 10
vi) Limitations on Rights 11
vii) Derogations 14
viii) Reservations 15
ix) The Monitoring/Treaty Body: The Human Rights Committee 16
x) Number of Ratifying States 16
b) The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) 17
i) Object 17
ii) Adoption and Entry into Force 17
iii) Obligations Undertaken by States Parties 17
iv) Summary of Substantive Rights 17
v) Limitations on Rights 19
vi) Derogations 20
vii) Reservations 20
viii) The Monitoring Body/Treaty Body: The Committee Against Torture (CAT) 20
ix) Number of Ratifying States 21
c) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) 22
i) Object 22
ii) Adoption and Entry into Force 22
iii) Obligations Undertaken by States Parties 22
iv) Summary of Substantive Rights 22
v) Limitations on Rights 24
vi) Derogations 25
vii) Reservations 25
viii) The Monitoring/Treaty Body: The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) 25
ix) Number of Ratifying States 26
d) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) 26
i) Object 26
ii) Adoption and Entry into Force 26
iii) Obligations Undertaken by States Parties 26
iv) Summary of Substantive Rights 27
v) Limitations on Rights 30
vi) Derogations 31
vii) Reservations 31
viii) The Monitoring Body/Treaty Body: The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) 32
ix) Number of Ratifying States 32
4. Brief Overview of Principal UN Human Rights Treaties That Do Not Contain Complaint Mechanisms or Contain Complaint Mechanisms Not Yet in Force 32
a) The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 32
b) The Convention on the Rights of the Child 33
c) The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families 34
Chapter II. Introduction to Complaints Procedures 37
1. Introduction 37
a) What is a Complaints Procedure? 37
b) What is the Purpose of Making an Individual Complaint? 37
c) Which Treaties have Complaints Procedures? 38
d) Which States Can Be the Subject of an Individual Complaint? 38
2. The Basis for the Right to Lodge a Complaint 38
a) The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) 38
i) The Optional Protocol to the ICCPR 38
ii) When Entered into Force 38
iii) Number of Ratifying States 39
iv) The Committee''s Jurisprudence 39
b) The Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) 39
i) The Article 22 Procedure 39
ii) When Entered into Force 39
iii) Number of States Which Have Made the Declaration of Competence under Article 22 40
iv) The Committee''s Jurisprudence 40
c) The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) 40
i) The Article 14 Procedure 40
ii) When Entered into Force 41
iii) Number of States Which Have Made the Declaration of Competence under Article 14 41
iv) The Committee''s Jurisprudence 41
d) The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) 41
i) The Optional Protocol to CEDAW 41
ii) When Entered into Force 42
iii) Number of Ratifying States 42
iv) The Committee''s Jurisprudence 42
3. General Overview of the Process 42
4. Preparation of the Communication 44
5. Submitting the Communication 44
6. Receipt of the Communication by the Treaty Body 45
7. Reservations 46
a) Substantive Reservations 46
b) Procedural Reservations 46
8. Date of Ratification 47
9. Making Decisions 47
10. Interim Measures 48
11. Admissibility of Communications 49
12. Determination of the Merits 53
13. Issuance of Views 54
14. Follow-up to Views 54
15. Summary of Matters That Should Be Included in the Communication/Complaint 55
16. Pitfalls to Avoid 55
Chapter III. The Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 57
1. Overview of the Human Rights Committee 57
a) Special Rapporteur on New Communications 58
b) Case Rapporteur 58
c) Working Group on Communications 58
d) Special Rapporteur on Follow-up 58
2. Individual Complaints Procedure of the Human Rights Committee 58
a) Registration of the Communication and Preliminary Procedures 59
i) Submission of the Communication 59
ii) Registration of the Communication 63
iii) Transmittal to the State Party 64
iv) Interim Measures 64
b) Admissibility and Submissions from the Parties 65
c) Determination of the Merits and Follow-up 66
3. Examples of Human Rights Committee Cases 68
Chapter IV. The Convention Against Torture 87
1. Overview of the Committee Against Torture (CAT) 87
a) Rapporteur on New Complaints and Interim Measures 87
b) Working Group on Complaints 88
c) Case Rapporteur 88
d) Rapporteur for Follow-up 88
2. Individual Complaints Procedure of CAT 88
a) Registration of the Complaint and Preliminary Procedures 88
i) Submission of the Complaint 88
ii) Registration of the Complaint 93
iii) Transmittal to the State Party 94
iv) Interim Measures 94
b) Admissibility and Submissions from the Parties 94
c) Determination of the Merits and Follow-up 96
3. Examples of CAT Cases 98
Chapter V. The Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 109
1. Overview of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) 109
2. Individual Complaints Procedure of CERD 112
a) Registration of the Communication and Preliminary Procedures 112
i) Submission of the Communication 112
ii) Registration of the Communication 113
iii) Transmittal to the State Party 114
iv) Interim Measures 114
b) Admissibility and Submissions from the Parties 114
c) Determination of the Merits 115
3. Examples of Cases Relating to CERD 116
Chapter VI. The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women 127
1. Overview of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) 127
a) Working Group 127
b) Rapporteurs 128
2. Individual Complaints Procedure of CEDAW 128
a) Registration of the Communication and Preliminary Procedures 128
i) Submission of the Communication 128
ii) Registration of the Communication 129
iii) Transmittal to the State Party 132
iv) Interim Measures 132
b) Admissibility and Submissions from the Parties 132
c) Follow-up 133
3. Examples of Potential Cases Relating to CEDAW 134
Chapter VII. The Investigative Mechanisms 147
1. Introduction 147
2. Convention Against Torture 148
a) Introduction 148
b) The Preliminary Stages of Consideration 148
c) The Inquiry Procedure 149
3. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women 150
a) Introduction 150
b) The Preliminary Stages of Consideration 150
c) The Inquiry Procedure 151
d) Follow-Up from Successful Individual Communications 152
4. Conclusion 152
Chapter VIII. The State Reporting System 153
1. Introduction 153
2. How Does the State Reporting System Work? 153
a) Submission of Initial and Periodic Reports by States Parties 153
b) Lists of Issues 154
c) Formal Consideration of the State Party''s Report 154
d) Concluding Observations or Comments 154
3. How Can Complainants Make Use of the State Reporting System? 156
a) A Source of Information about the Committee''s Approach to Convention Obligations 156
b) Method of Bringing Attention to an Individual Complaint 156
c) Follow-up 157
Chapter IX. Choosing a Forum 159
1. Introduction 159
2. Is There a Choice of Forum? 159
a) Ratification 159
b) Treaty Rights 160
c) Reservations 160
3. Choosing the Best Forum 160
a) Admissibility Considerations 160
b) Expertise of the Treaty Bodies 162
c) Substantive Provisions of the Treaties 162
d) The Case law of the Treaty Bodies 164
e) The General Comments or Recommendations of the Treaty Bodies 164
f) Time Taken to Decide Cases 165
g) Interim Measures/Urgent Action 165
h) Remedies 165
i) Compliance with the Committee''s Views 166
j) Overlap with Non-treaty Mechanisms 166
k) Regional Mechanisms Versus the Treaty Bodies 172
Chapter X. Follow-up 175
1. The Human Rights Committee 175
2. Committee Against Torture 176
3. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 176
4. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women 177
5. Conclusion 177
