Human rights treaties on specific issues The UDHR has inspired a number of other human rights conventions. These include conventions to prevent and prohibit specific abuses, such as: • genocide;79 • racism (ICERD)80 and • torture (CAT).81 Other instruments have been adopted to protect especially vulnerable populations or classes of persons, such as: • refugees;82 • women (CEDAW)83 and • children (CRC).84 These treaties are given a practical value in some cases through the establishment of committees to monitor compliance with their obligations, usually by receiving reports from states or, in some cases (and subject to specific acceptance by states) through a system of individual petition or complaint. These committees include: • The Human Rights Committee (ICCPR); • The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR); • The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD); • The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); • The Committee against Torture (CAT); • The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Additional UN mechanisms to protect and promote human rights In addition to the treaty bodies, the UN has also developed special procedures to protect and promote human rights.85 These procedures are important because they are applicable to all members of the UN without reference to whether they have become parties to particular treaties. However, the human rights principles that emerge under these special procedures do 79 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, opened for signature and ratification by General Assembly resolution 260 A (III) of 9 December 1948. It entered into force on 12 January 1951. 80 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, opened for signature and ratification by General Assembly resolution 2106 (XX) of 21 December 1965. It entered into force on 4 January 1969. 81 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, opened for signature and ratification by General Assembly resolution 39/46 of 10 December 1984. It entered into force on 26 June 1987. 82 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, adopted on 28 July 1951 by the United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons convened under General Assembly resolution 429 (V) of 14 December 1950 and entered into force on 22 April 1954. 83 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, opened for signature and ratification by General Assembly resolution 34/180 of 18 December 1979. It entered into force on 3 September 1981. 84 Convention on the Rights of the Child, opened for signature and ratification by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989. It entered into force on 2 September 1990. 85 “Special procedures are either an individual (called ‘Special Rapporteur’, ‘Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral’, ‘Representative of the Secretary-General’, ‘Representative of the Commission on Human Rights’ or ‘Independent Expert’) or a working group usually composed of five members (one from each region). The mandates of the special procedures are established and defined by the resolution creating them. Mandate-holders of the special procedures serve in their personal capacity, and do not receive salaries or any other financial retribution for their work. The independent status of the mandate-holders is crucial in order to be able to fulfill their functions in all impartiality.” UN OHCHR, Seventeen frequently asked questions about United Nations Special Rapporteurs, Fact Sheet No. 27 (Geneva, 2001). 46 Countering Terrorism, Protecting Human Rights