The United Nations Human Rights System
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f) Bringing a matter to the attention of the GA: CED may bring urgently to the attention of
the General Assembly, information appearing to contain well-founded indications about
widespread or systematic enforced disappearance occurring in a State party to the Convention.
The Committee would do so after having sought from the State party concerned all relevant
information (art. 34).
g) Inter-State complaints: seven Treaty Bodies (CAT, CED, CERD, CESCR, CRC, CMW and the
Human Rights Committee) have the authority to receive and consider complaints from one State
party to the effect that another State party is not giving effect to the provisions of the treaty. The
inter-State complaints procedure is optional, and State parties must make a declaration that they
accept the procedure before making or being subject to a complaint. The inter-State complaint
procedure has been rarely invoked.
h) General comments: All Treaty Bodies except the SPT prepare and publish general comments –
referred to by CEDAW and CERD as general recommendations – which cover a wide range of
issues. These can (i) contain the Treaty Bodies’ interpretation of specific substantive provisions of
their respective human rights treaty, such as the General Comment no. 35 of the Human Rights
Committee on the right to liberty and security of the person; (ii) provide guidance on the general
obligations of State parties to a treaty, such as General Comment no. 3 of CESCR on the nature
of State parties’ obligations; or (iii) address wider cross-cutting issues and their relationship to
the provisions of their respective treaty, such as General Recommendation no. 30 of CEDAW on
women in pre-conflict, conflict and post-conflict situations.
As of September 2018, the Treaty Bodies have issued 162 general comments or general
recommendations. The most up to date list of general comments is available at:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/Pages/TBGeneralComments.aspx
The aim of general comments is to help State parties better implement the rights enshrined in
the treaties. In this context the CRC and CEDAW decided to work together to provide consistent
guidance to State parties in eliminating harmful practices, as this is a human rights issue which
relates to both the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women. In 2014 this effort was translated into the first joint general
comment adopted by the Treaty Bodies, namely the CEDAW-CRC joint general comment on harmful
practices.
On the basis of existing practices and with a view to standardizing their working methods as
requested by GA Res. 68/268, the chairpersons of the Treaty Bodies endorsed at their 27th
meeting21 a common methodology for the elaboration of and consultation on general comments.
21 The annual Meeting of Chairpersons of the human rights Treaty Bodies provides a forum for members of Treaty Bodies to discuss their
work and consider ways to enhance the effectiveness of the Treaty Body system as a whole. Issues addressed at these meetings have
included, among other things, the streamlining and overall improvement of human rights reporting procedures, harmonization of the
Committees’ methods of work, follow-up to World Conferences, and financial issues. The first meeting of chairpersons took place in
1984. Since 1995, the chairpersons of human rights Treaty Bodies meet annually per GA resolution 49/178.
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