Organizational Structure of the United Nations for Human Rights §

• Treaty monitoring bodies: work with UNGA, UNSC, UNSOC
  1. These treaty-monitoring bodies are the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
  2. the Human Rights Committee
  3. the Committee against Torture
  4. the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
  5. the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
  6. the Committee on the Rights of the Child
  7. the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
  8. the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  9. the Committee on Enforced Disappearances

Security Council §

• R2P

• Only UNGA used to discuss human rights, it stopped when UNSC took over the discussion

  • UNSC was reluctant because it only concerned security issues, and not push interventionist policy

• Self-Determination: UNSC advocated for all people

• UN Interventions: Security Council has been involved increasingly in international humanitarian work

  • Intervention for humanitarian aid and human rights issues

  • With consent of host state

  💡 Cases:

  • Former Yugoslavia (1992): threat to peace justifying intervention

  • Somalia (1992)

  • Palestine/Israel (2022): peacekeepers truth observers, and relief workersin Israel and surrounding

• Sanctions:

  • UN sanctions are rare (Southern Rhodesia & South Africa)
  • The most comprehensive UN sanction was on Iraq
  • Libya:
    • due to violent unrest
    • protect civilian population
  • Syria: sanction has not been supported by P5 of UNSC
  • Due to sanctions’ effects on civilians population
    • Infant mortality rose & public health deteriorated in Iraq
    • General Comment And 8 of CESCR: “lawlessness in one way (violations of human rights) shouldn’t allow lawlessness in another (sanctions)”
  • Unilateral sanctions are more popular recently: US.
    • EU also impose sanctions: voted for sanction against Syria, but lift all against Myanmar

• Problem with UNSC: it’s less likely to take actions against any P5

  • China: human rights abuse in Tibet
  • US instigated military actions in Iraq & Afghanistan

References §