After years of discussion, consultation and negotiations, the General Assembly has passed a resolution which will strengthen the UN system of monitoring member states' implementation of the human rights treaties to which it is a party.
When a member state ratifies one of the core international human rights treaties - such as the Convention Against Torture or the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - it agrees to submit progress reports ahead of reviews by a committee of independent experts every four to five years.
However, with the doubling in size of this system over the last decade, the workload has grown on both sides. Committees face a backlog of reports, states experience lengthy delays between reviews, with some still waiting for their first reviews to take place.
The General Assembly resolution seeks to introduce practical measures to address this issue, such as allowing an additional 20 weeks meeting time per year, per committee, and providing further technical assistance to support states in meeting their reporting obligations. It also calls for a further review of this process in six years' time.
High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said in a statement:
New conventions and the growing number of ratifications, while very welcome, have stretched the system to breaking point. That's why I called in 2009 for reflection on ways to strengthen the system. The steps now approved can provide a real way forward to make the treaty body system even more effective.
Click here to find out more about the treaty body strengthening process.
Photo: © UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras. Navi Pillay and Ban Ki-moon shake hands at treaty body strengthening consultations.
