iii FOREWORD The United Nations human rights treaty bodies are at the heart of the human rights protection architecture. Their independence, legal analysis of treaty provisions and expert review of implementation by States parties allow them to play a crucial role in promoting and protecting human rights around the world. The recent growth of the system, which has doubled in size in the past decade, is testimony to its success, but also has significant implications for the responsibilities of the experts — currently 172 — elected as members of the 10 treaty bodies. In her report to the General Assembly (A/66/860), my predecessor, Navi Pillay, made key proposals to strengthen the human rights treaty body system, which were adopted by the General Assembly in 2014 in its landmark resolution 68/268. In the spirit of this resolution, it is my pleasure to publish this Handbook on the expectations and implications of serving as a treaty body expert for aspiring, newly elected and currently serving members. The quality, devotion and integrity of treaty body experts sustain the value and impact of the treaty body system; they are prerequisites for its effectiveness. This is why States must give their utmost priority to ensuring that their national process for nominating candidates is fair, transparent, gender-balanced and competitive, and to electing the most qualified and best suited candidates to serve on the human rights treaty bodies. My Office is committed to continuing to provide a high standard of support to the treaty bodies and their members, and I sincerely hope that this Handbook will assist States in informing potential candidates for treaty body positions and will help aspiring, new and current treaty body members understand their responsibilities and be successful in their important functions. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights