Library Guides: Human Rights Law: UN human rights system and instruments

UN human rights system

There are two main types of bodies that promote and protect human rights under the UN: Charter Bodies and Treaty Bodies. These bodies make up the human rights monitoring mechanisms within the United Nations system.

Charter-based bodies
- Established under the UN Charter (1945)
- Seek to uphold international human rights in general. Charter-based bodies include the Human Rights Council, Special Procedures, the Universal Periodic Review and Independent Investigations.
Treaty bodies (Committees)
- Created by international human rights treaties
- Address and monitor State compliance with human rights obligations in the particular treaty under which they were established.

OHCHR Databases
Links to information repositories of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, including Jurisprudence Database, Status of Ratification Interactive Dashboard and Universal Human Rights Index.
Status of Ratification Interactive Dashboard (OHCHR)
Use the Status of Ratification Interactive Dashboard to see at a glance maps of the ratification status of 18 human rights treaties, or the status of a country or region with regard to all 18 treaties.
Travaux Préparatoires (Drafting history of human rights treaties)
The University of Virginia School of Law has compiled an open access database of Travaux Préparatoires of the nine core human rights treaties:
The database is searchable, browsable and has a subject index.
UN Audiovisual Library of International Law Human Rights treaties database
The UN Audiovisual Library of International Law Human Rights treaties database contains the full text of treaties, travaux and related documents, information about the procedural history, photos, videos and authoritative introductory summaries.
Select an agreement from this page of the UN Audiovisual Library to find related overviews, the agreement's procedural history, preparatory documents, videos, audio files and photos.
UN Human Rights Instruments and Mechanisms
Links to the mechanisms themselves as well as monitoring tools and the Human Rights Index database. Also includes overviews of the UN's legal framework and mechanisms (treaty and charter based).
UN Treaty Series Online
UN Treaty Series Online - includes (1) all multilateral treaties deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations and those formerly deposited with the League of Nations - their latest status and a link to the full text, (2) Bilateral and multilateral treaties registered with and published by the United Nations Secretariat in accordance with Article 102.

Human rights instruments

United Nations Human Rights Treaty System Fact Sheet
The United Nations Human Rights Treaty System Fact Sheet, prepared in 2012 by the OHCHR, provides an excellent introduction to the core international human rights treaties and treaty bodies.

Founding documents

Charter of the United Nations
The Charter of the United Nations is the founding document of the United Nations. It was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organisation, and came into force on 24 October 1945.
International Bill of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human rights, and the two covenants: International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) are known together as the International Bill of Human Rights.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration sets a general common standard for the achievement of human rights, but is not a legally binding instrument. The rights set out in the Universal Declaration have been subsequently transformed into a legally binding framework of international human rights through treaties.
• History, commentary and preparatory documents on the UN's Audiovisual Library of International Law
UN's Audiovisual Library of International Law: Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948
History, commentary and preparatory documents on the UN's Audiovisual Library of International Law.

Nine core international human rights instruments

- Use the United Nations Treaty Series citation when referring to a treaty according to the AGLC4 style (rule 8.4)

Core Universal Human Rights Instruments (OHCHR site)
Office of the High Commission for Human Rights website. Links to the core international human rights instruments, related optional protocols and the websites of the relevant treaty bodies (committees).

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)

- monitored by the CESR

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (OHCHR site)
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, opened for signature 16 December 1966, 993 UNTS 3 (entered into force 3 January 1976) (ICESCR)
• Monitoring body Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
• Check ratification, reservations and current status in the UN Treaty Collection Status of Treaties database
• History, commentary and preparatory documents on the UN's Audiovisual Library of International Law
993 UNTS 3 (International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights)
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is the monitoring body of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
UN's Audiovisual Library of International Law: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
History, commentary and preparatory documents on the UN's Audiovisual Library of International Law.
ICESCR's Optional Protocol (2008)

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

- monitored by the CCPR

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (OHCHR site)
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, opened for signature 16 December 1966, 999 UNTS 171 and 1057 UNTS 407 (entered into force 23 March 1976) (ICCPR)
• Monitoring body Human Rights Committee (CCPR)
• Check ratification, reservations and current status in the UN Treaty Collection Status of Treaties database
• History, commentary and preparatory documents on the UN's Audiovisual Library of International Law

There are two optional Optional Protocols:
• Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1976
• Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty 1989
999 UNTS 171 (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights opened for signature 1966)
1057 UNTS 407 (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights entered into force 1977)
Human Rights Committee (CCPR)
UN's Audiovisual Library of International Law: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966
History, commentary and preparatory documents on the UN's Audiovisual Library of International Law.
Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1976
Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty 1989

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD)

- monitored by the CERD

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, opened for signature 21 December 1965, 660 UNTS 195 (entered into force 4 January 1969) (ICERD)
• Monitoring body Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
• History, commentary and preparatory documents on the UN's Audiovisual Library of International Law
• Check ratification, reservations and current status in the UN Treaty Collection Status of Treaties database
660 UNTS 195
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination New York 1965
History, commentary and preparatory documents on the UN's Audiovisual Library of International Law.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

- monitored by the CEDAW

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, opened for signature 18 Dec 1979, 1249 UNTS 13 (entered into force 3 September 1981) (CEDAW)
• Monitoring body: Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
• Check ratification, reservations and current status in the UN Treaty Collection Status of Treaties database
1249 UNTS 13
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
5. Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, opened for signature
10 Dec 1984, 1465 UNTS 85 (entered into force 26 June 1987) (CAT)
• Monitoring body: Committee Against Torture (CAT)
• Check ratification, reservations and current status in the UN Treaty Collection Status of Treaties database
1465 UNTS 85
Committee Against Torture (CAT)

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

- monitored by the CRC

Convention on the Rights of the Child
Convention on the Rights of the Child, opened for signature 20 Nov 1989, 1577 UNTS 3 (entered into force 2 September 1990) (CRC)
• Monitoring body Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
• Check ratification, reservations and current status in the UN Treaty Collection Status of Treaties database
1577 UNTS 3
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICMW)

- monitored by the CMW

International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, opened for signature 18 Dec 1990, 2220 UNTS 3 (entered into force 1 July 2003) (ICMW)
• Monitoring body Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW)
• Check ratification, reservations and current status in the UN Treaty Collection Status of Treaties database
2220 UNTS 3
Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW)

International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CPED)

- monitored by the CED

International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, opened for signature 20 Dec 2006, 2716 UNTS 3 (entered into force 23 December 2010) (CPED)
• Monitoring body Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)
• Check ratification, reservations and current status in the UN Treaty Collection Status of Treaties database
2716 UNTS 3
Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

- monitored by the CRPD

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, opened for signature 13 December 2006, 2515 UNTS 3 (entered into force 3 May 2008) (CRPD)
• Monitoring body Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
• Check ratification, reservations and current status in the UN Treaty Collection Status of Treaties database
2515 UNTS 3
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)