I.

Core International Human Rights Instruments and Mechanisms

A. The core international human rights instruments and their monitoring bodies
B. Human rights mechanisms
1. Treaty bodies
All human rights treaties are applicable to women’s rights. Bodies of experts (committees) have been established
to monitor the implementation of such treaties:

 Human Rights Committee (CCPR)

 Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights  (CESCR)
 Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination  (CERD)
 Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women  (CEDAW)
 Committee against Torture (CAT)
 Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
 Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)
 Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities  (CRPD)

2. The Human Rights Council

- The Human Rights Council regularly holds special panels relating to
women’s rights and integration of a gender perspective. There is also a
vast array of resolutions from the Council which call on States to
implement their obligations relating to women’s rights. The Human Rights
Council also has the power to call special sessions where it perceives
serious human rights violations taking place.
3. Universal Periodic Review
- The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) also presents important opportunities to assess
State compliance with its international obligations related to the human rights of
women. Under this mechanism, the human rights situation of all UN Member States is
reviewed every 4,5 years. One preliminary analysis of UPR recommendations revealed
that women’s rights are among the most frequently raised issues in the context of UPR
dialogues.
4. Special Procedures and Special Rapporteurs
- Special Procedures mandates are established by the Human Rights Council to
examine particular thematic issues, or the human rights situation in a certain country.
Certain special procedures mandates are specifically concerned with women’s rights,
such as the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and
consequences, the Working Group on Discrimination against Women in law and
practice, and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women
and children. Other mandates have devoted specific attention to women’s rights and
gender in their work, particularly in undertaking thematic research on women and
specific human rights, ensuring attention to women’s rights in their country visits, and
communicating with Governments on specific cases of alleged violations of women’s
human rights.
C. Global, regional and national human rights institutions

References:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/coreinstruments.aspxeeferences
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/Pages/HRMechanims.aspx#:~:text=Treaty
%20bodies&text=Human%20Rights%20Committee%20(CCPR),of%20Discrimination%20against
%20Women%20(CEDAW)