Promoting Quality Independent and Diverse Treaty Body Membership

The ten United Nations (UN) human rights treaty bodies (TBs) oversee the implementation by states of the international legal obligations they accept when they become a party to the relevant treaties. While their contribution to human rights protection is important, they are little known to non-expert audiences.

Our new Working Paper Promoting Quality, Independent and Diverse Treaty Body Membership discuss the membership of UN TBs, a key issue to ensure proper human rights protection and the credibility of the overall system.

Written by Dr Claire Callejon – a leading expert on UN TBs functioning –, it starts by identifying the current shortfalls and then moves to propose concrete solutions for a more institutionalized, open and transparent selection process to ensure quality, independent and diverse TB membership.

AUTHOR

Portrait of Claire Callejon

Claire Callejon

Research Consultant

Her areas of expertise include international human rights law, the United Nations Human Rights machinery and refugee law.

NEWS AND EVENTS

A session of the UN Human Rights Committee News

Promoting Quality, Independent and Diverse Treaty Body Membership

23 November 2021

Our new Working Paper Promoting Quality, Independent and Diverse Treaty Body Membership discuss the membership of UN treaty bodies, a key issue to ensure proper human rights protection and the credibility of the overall system.

Read more >

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

GHRP Diplomat Training News

Strengthening Diplomacy: GHRP Training Course Enhances Engagement with UN Human Rights

5 February 2025

The GHRP’s annual training equipped 19 diplomats with key insights into the UN Human Rights Council’s mechanisms and multilateral processes.

Read more

Geneva Academy Briefing No.25 News

New Academy Briefing Calls for Stronger Engagement of Local and Regional Governments in Human Rights and SDG Monitoring

11 March 2025

The Geneva Academy’s latest publication explores how cities, municipalities, and regional authorities are becoming key players in global human rights governance.

Read more

Local Government Event

Enhancing National Reporting and Implementation of Human Rights through Coordinated Engagement at the Local and Regional Levels: The Role of NMIRFs

23 July 2025, 10:00-17:00

This seminar explores how national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up can better integrate the capacities, data, and experiences of local and regional governments in advancing human rights implementation and reporting.

Read more

AI for Good Event Event

AI for human rights: Smarter, faster, fairer monitoring

8 July 2025, 14:00-16:00

The event, as part of the AI for Good Summit 2025 will explore how AI tools can support faster data analysis, help uncover patterns in large datasets, and expand the reach of human rights work.

Read more

Town Hall Meeting Training

Localizing International Human Rights

8-10 October 2025

This training course, specifically designed for staff of city and regional governments, will explore the means and mechanisms through which local and regional governments can interact with and integrate the recommendations of international human rights bodies in their concrete work at the local level.

Read more

Universal Declaration of Human Rights Booklet Training

The International Human Rights Standards and System: Monitoring and Implementation Strategies at the National Level

7-11 July 2025

This training course will delve into the means and mechanisms through which national actors can best coordinate their human rights monitoring and implementation efforts, enabling them to strategically navigate the UN human rights system and use the various mechanisms available in their day-to-day work.

Read more

Project

The Lake Room Initiative (Space for Dialogue)

Started in February 2024

Read more

George Floyd protest in Washington D.C. Project

Promoting and Protecting the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association and Civic Space Worldwide

Started in June 2020

This project aims at providing support to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association Clément Voulé by addressing emerging issues affecting civic space and eveloping tools and materials allowing various stakeholders to promote and defend civic space.

Read more

Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

Read more