Human Rights Bodies - Complaints Procedures

Human Rights Bodies - Complaints Procedures

Complaining about human rights violations

The ability of individuals to complain about the violation of their rights in an international arena brings real meaning to the rights contained in the human rights treaties.

There are three main procedures for bringing complaints of violations of the provisions of the human rights treaties before the human rights treaty bodies:

individual communications;

state-to-state complaints; and

inquiries

Note: not all committees have the right to consider such complaints.

There are also procedures for complaints which fall outside of the treaty body system - through the special procedures and the 1503 procedure of the Commission on Human Rights and through the Commission on the Status of Women.

There are also procedures for complaints which fall outside of the treaty body system - through the special procedures and the Human Rights Council Complaint Procedure and through the Commission on the Status of Women.

Highlights

26 September 2011: Lao Peoples's Democratic Republic becomes 165th State party to ICCPR

25 September 2011: 1st Optional Protocol as well as to the second optional protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty

Events and meetings

29 August- 2 September 2011, Geneva, WG on Communications

11-14 April 2011, Geneva, WG on communications

Information materials

Information about human rights bodies - complaints procedure

Publications

Contact information:

Model Complaint Form

CEDAW | HRC | CAT | CERD

Mail: Petitions Team

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

United Nations Office at Geneva

1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Fax:+ 41 22 917 9022

(particularly for urgent matters)

E-mail: tbpetitions@ohchr

Human Rights Council Complaint Procedure

OHCHR-UNOG - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Fax: +41 22 917 90 11

E-mail: CP@ohchr.org

Special Procedures assumed by the Human Rights Council

Mail: Special Procedures Branch

c/o OHCHR-UNOG

8-14 Avenue de la Paix

1211 Geneva 10

Switzerland

Fax : +41 22 917 90 06

E-mail : SPBInfo@ohchr.org

Commission on the Status of Women

Mail: Commission on the Status of Women

c/o Division for the Advancement of Women, Department of Economic and Social Affairs

United Nations Secretariat

2 United Nations Plaza, DC-2/12th Floor

New York, NY 10017, United States of America

Fax:+ 41 22 917 9022