4 Figure I: The reporting cycle Opportunity for input from civil society, national human rights institutions and the 6 United Nations system Report p n ns g Lis W r e ritt e p li n es Follo wu 6 di c l u ti o C o n er v a obs Treaty body issues its concluding 5 observations on the report, including recommendations 1 sues f is to Procedure to follow up on implementation 6 of treaty body recommendations State party prepares and submits its report Dialo g ue Opportunity for input 4 from civil society, national human rights institutions and the United Nations system 4 Treaty body presents 2 State party with list of issues Opportunity for input from civil society, 2 national human rights institutions and the United Nations system State party submits 3 written replies to list of issues and questions Constructive dialogue between treaty body and State party delegation during session ✔✔ Individual communications procedure. Most treaty bodies have the authority to receive complaints (known as communications) from individuals alleging that the State has breached one or more of the rights under a specific treaty. The individual communications procedures are optional, which means that the State party must have expressly agreed to the treaty body receiving such complaints from individuals under its jurisdiction. All communications are subject to certain admissibility criteria, including a requirement that the author must exhaust all domestic remedies before bringing the communication to the treaty body. Once the treaty body considers the submissions of the individual and the State party concerned, it publishes its views on the admissibility and merits and any decision on remedies, if relevant. The procedure is quasi-judicial in the sense that the treaty body is not a court and cannot enforce its decisions. However, such decisions are highly persuasive and are to be considered an authoritative source to assist States parties in complying with their treaty obligations.