International Level

The human rights system consists of three levels: an international, a regional, and a national level. Central in the UN international human rights system are the nine core human rights conventions found in the adjecent illustration.  

The Conventions are valid for those states that have ratified them. Some Conventions have been ratified by almost all states, e.g. the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while others only apply for a few states e.g. the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

Often conventions are supplemented by Optional Protocols which may either provide procedures regarding the convention - e.g. to handle complaints or conduct inquiries – or, address a specific area related to the convention - e.g. as the optional protocols to the Convention on the Right of the Child. Optional protocols to conventions are open to ratification by countries who are party to the main convention. 

Each of the nine core Conventions are monitored by a committee of experts, who check whether the states who ratified the convention comply with it. Each state has the obligation to write a report to the expert committee, in which it describes how the convention is being implemented by  national legislation and in practice. The expert committees also receive reports from the UN system, civil society organisations, researchers, etc. Based on the reports, the states are ‘examined’ at a meeting every 2 to 5 years, depending on the committee.  

Another UN control mechanism is the so-called Universal Periodic Review (UPR). This is a process which ensures the examination of the human rights performance of all UN member states every 4 years. The UN human rights system also includes special rapporteurs or working groups that monitor certain countries or specific themes (e.g. education or torture). Thereto, there are complaints procedures that take care of repeated, documented, and serious human rights violations.

Besides the nine core human rights conventions there are many other universal instruments relating to human rights. These instruments are directed towards e.g. war crimes and genocide, humanitarian law, rights of indigenous people and minorities, administration of justice, slavery and forced labour, nationality and statelessness, etc.