Part I The human rights of women and girls NHRIs can use the studies and the reports of the special procedures as an important source of information on various conceptual issues, as well as on comparative situations in other countries. 3.2. HUMAN RIGHTS TREATY BODIES A committee comprised of independent experts nominated by States parties has been established for each of the major human rights treaties. Each committee is charged with overseeing the implementation of its respective treaty and, depending on the treaty or any additional protocol, receiving and considering complaints of violations, conducting inquiries or exercising other functions given to it by the treaty. HUMAN RIGHTS TREATY BODIES Human Rights Committee International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women Committee against Torture Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Committee on the Rights of the Child Convention on the Rights of the Child Committee on Migrant Workers International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Committee on Enforced Disappearances International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance All of the major human rights treaties require States parties to report regularly on their progress towards implementation of the relevant treaty. The treaty bodies consider these reports, along with information that may be received from other sources, including NHRIs, NGOs and relevant United Nations agencies. State reports are required to conform to certain guidelines issued by the treaty body. Increasingly, these guidelines request States to provide specific information on the situation of women in relation to the rights protected by the relevant treaty. The reporting process usually involves a dialogue with the State during which issues raised by the committee or in the State report are discussed. At the conclusion of this process, the committee will release “concluding observations”, which set out their principal findings and recommendations. Chapter 3: The institutional framework for women’s and girls’ human rights | 27