18. As with the ICCPR and ICESCR, these treaties also provide for mechanisms to monitor State compliance with their obligations. These include State reporting procedures, inquiries,17 and communication procedures.18 The latter permit States19 and individuals to submit a complaint alleging violations of the rights in the respective treaty. The State of Palestine has not ratified any of the Optional Protocols or made the necessary declarations which permit the right to individual petition to the UN human rights treaties. E. Additional UN Mechanisms to Protect and Promote Human Rights 19. Under the UN Charter, through the UN’s Human Rights Council, Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has been established. 20. Under UPR, all UN Member States must submit to a 4 yearly audit of human rights protection within their jurisdictions. The first cycle of this process has been concluded and therefore all member States of the UN have been reviewed now at least once. 21. UPR is based on three reports: a national report prepared by the government; a report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) which includes information from other UN agencies and programmes and civil society organisations; and an ‘outcome report’ listing recommendations made to the State under review, including those that it accepted and which it will have to implement before the next review. 22. UPR is a peer review mechanism. It is a dialogue between Member States on the Human Rights Council and the State under review. The process is intended to be cooperative, constructive, non-confrontational and nonpolitical. There is no obligation to accept the recommendations of the outcome report. There are no punitive measures. 23. As well as the treaty bodies identified above and UPR, the UN has also developed additional procedures to protect and promote human rights mandated under the Charter itself. These are important because they are applicable to all members of the UN without reference to whether they have become parties to particular treaties. 24. Thematic special rapporteurs, independent experts and working groups have a broad mandate to investigate and report on the causes and consequences of the violations of the particular right in question. They thus attempt to identify commonalities in violations, draw broad conclusions, and 17 Article 20 UNCAT; Article 8 Optional Protocol CEDAW; Article 6, Optional Protocol to the CRPD; Article 33 ICCPED; Article 11 Optional Protocol, ICESCR; Article 13 Optional Protocol to the UNCRC. 18 Under ICCPR; ICERD; CAT; CEDAW; CRPD; CED and ICESCR. The communication procedures for the Committee on Migrant Workers and the Committee on the Rights of Child have yet to enter into force. 19 These have never been used but are available before: CAT, CMW, CED, ICESCR and CRC. There is a dispute resolution procedure before CERD and the CRPD Committee. 13