204
International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR)
International Covenant
on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
International Convention
on the Elimination of
All Forms of Racial
Discrimination (ICERD)
Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against
Women (CEDAW)
Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment
(CAT)
Committee
on Economic,
Social and
Cultural Rights
Committee on
the Elimination
of Racial
Discrimination
Committee
on the
Elimination of
Discrimination
against Women
Committee
against Torture
Founding treaty
Human Rights
Committee
Human rights
treaty body
66 | Chapter 10: The treaty-based system: An overview
Optional Protocol to the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women
(which allows for individual
complaints and inquiries)
Optional Protocol to the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (which allows for
individual complaints)
Second Optional Protocol to the
International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights, aiming at the
abolition of the death penalty
Optional Protocol to the
International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (which allows for
individual complaints)
Optional protocol(s) to
founding treaty
23
Ten
1987
18
18
18
Current
number of
members
1982
1970
1985
1977
Date
established
Four-yearly
Four-yearly
Two-yearly
None
specified but
usually fiveyearly
Three-tofive-yearly, at
discretion of
Committee
Periodicity
of reporting
Two sessions a
year of two or
three weeks each
plus a week’s
pre-sessional
working group on
each occasion
Two or three
sessions a year of
two weeks each
plus a week’s
pre-sessional
working group on
each occasion
Two sessions
a year of three
weeks each
Two sessions
a year of three
weeks each
Three sessions
a year of three
weeks each
Sessions
International Human Rights and the International Human Rights System A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions
Table 10.1: Treaty monitoring bodies204
Table developed from Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme: A Handbook for Civil Society; Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; 2008.