The United Nations human rights Treaty Bodies are committees of independent experts that monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties. Each State party to a treaty has an obligation to take steps to ensure that everyone in the State can enjoy the rights set out in the treaty.
Among other works, the Treaty Bodies review each year how some countries respect their obligations under the treaties, for instance under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the UN Convention on Elimination of All Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
Agenda of review of European countries
Below you can read about the review of European countries that have been so far announced for 2022. For more information on how to participate in the review, consult our guide on the CRPD Committee and guide on the CEDAW Committee.
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
In March 2022 the CRPD Committee will hold its 26th session and 15th pre-sessional working group, with the review of the following European countries:
- Hungary (Concluding Observations)
- Switzerland (Concluding Observations)
- European Union (List of Issues Prior to Reporting)
- Netherlands (List of Issues)
No European countries are foreseen to be reviewed in the 27th session and 16th pre-sessional working group that will take place in August-September 2022.
Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
- February/March 2022: List of Issues on France
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
- February/March 2022: review of Belarus, Czech Republic and Serbia; List of issues on Albania and Ireland
- September/October: review of Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro; List of Issues on Cyprus, Iceland andPoland
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
- January/February 2022: review of Croatia, Cyprus, Greece and the Netherlands
- May 2022: review of Iceland
- September 2022: review of Azerbaijan, Germany and North Macedonia
Committee Against Torture (CAT)
- April/May 2022: review of Iceland; List of Issues Prior to reporting on Germany, Greece, Poland and theUnited Kingdom
- July 2022: review of Ukraine
- February/March 2022: no European country announced
Elections in the UN Treaty Bodies
New independent experts will also be elected in the Treaty Bodies, including in the CRPD Committee and the CEDAW Committee.
The CRPD Committee is holding elections to replace 9 of its members. The 15th session of the Conference of the States parties to the Convention will take place in New York on 14-16 June 2022 to elect the 9 members. Candidates are nominated by States that ratified the CRPD. The deadline to nominate a candidate for membership in the Committee (for the period 2023-2026) is 13 April 2022.
Read about Sif Holst, nominated by Denmark
Contact
Marine Uldry
EDF Human Rights Officer
marine.uldry@edf-feph.org
Photo credit: UN logo extracted via Twitter