thereby contributing to the development of an international jurisprudence of human rights. The work of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Human Rights Committee is cited most frequently throughout the Commentary. However, it is important to acknowledge that most of the human rights treaty-based bodies – including the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee against Torture, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Committee established under the Migrant Workers Convention – now regularly raise trafficking and related issues in their consideration of States parties’ reports. 2.7.2. THE WORK OF THE UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL PROCEDURES The United Nations investigatory mechanisms or “special procedures” are charged with monitoring, advising and publicly reporting on a human rights situation in a specific country (country mandates) or on a particular issue (thematic mandates). The term encompasses special rapporteurs, individual experts and working groups. The mandate holders of all special procedures serve in their personal capacity. They report annually to the United Nations main political body concerned with human rights, the Human Rights Council, and, less frequently, to the General Assembly. All thematic and country-specific mechanisms are authorized to receive information relevant to their mandate from a variety of sources (including intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations), and to make recommendations on preventing or redressing violations. Some mechanisms are empowered to respond to allegations of violations by, for example, establishing a dialogue with complainants and Governments, or even engaging in actual investigation of allegations. The reports of the special procedures can be an important source of information on and insight into human rights norms and standards. Because special procedures are dealing with real situations, they are often able to identify the practical measures required by States to protect, respect and fulfil a certain human right. The special procedures cited most commonly in this Commentary are: the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences; the Special Rapporteur on torture; and the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Other relevant special procedures are the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the recently established Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery. 2.7.3. ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND AUTHORITY The Commentary uses a range of other materials to supplement the sources cited above. Interpretive texts that have been developed in connection with specific treaties, such as commentaries, travaux préparatoires and legislative guides, are particularly important in relation to identifying key obligations under those instruments. Academic writings provide additional insight but it is important to note that such writings cannot create law and are at best of evidential weight.22 Martin Dixon, Textbook on International Law, 6th ed. (2007), p. 47. 22 COMMENTARY 31