Treaty Bodies

What are the human rights treaty bodies?

While the UPR and Special Procedures are established under the HRC, treaty bodies are established by a human rights treaty. There are currently 10 treaty bodies which have been created to monitor the implementation of core international human rights treaties by States Parties. These include the nine human rights international treaties and one optional protocol.

Treaty bodies are composed of independent experts. They have three sessions a year – each session lasts from one to three weeks. During this session, each committee reviews a number of countries, hears a number of cases and works to develop a General Comment (i.e. an authoritative interpretation of human rights treaty provisions).

Treaty bodies and China

Country reviews

Treaty bodies review the implementation of a treaty by each state, in theory, every four or five years, upon the submission of a national report. Treaty bodies publish Concluding Observations or Comments on States Parties’ reports, which contain specific recommendations. 

China last submitted a state report on 2018, which was its report to Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  Most recent treaty bodies’ Concluding Observations on Syria’s reports are:

Concluding Observations made by CERD (2018)
Concluding Observations made by CAT (2015)
Concluding Observations made by CEDAW (2014)
Concluding Observations made by CESCR ( 2014)
Concluding Observations made by CRC-OP AC   (2013)
Concluding Observations made by CRC (2013)

List of the alternative report submitted by Tibet Advocacy Coalition:

TAC Submission to CERD Follow-up review of China (July 2020)
Full Joint Submission to review of China by CERD (July 2018)
Tibet Advocacy Coalition List of Issues in relation to review of China by CERD (2018)
Full Joint Submission to Sixth review of China by CAT (October 2015)
Tibet Advocacy Coalition List of Issues in relation to review of China by CAT (February 2015)
TAC Submission to CESCR review of China (March 2014)