The Human Rights Committee—Challenges and Prospects for Enhanced Effectiveness and Integration

Abstract

AbstractAs one of the oldest and the most prominent of universal monitoring organs of quasi-judicial nature, the UN Human Rights Committee has greatly contributed to the development of the universal human rights regime. However, challenges remain. These relate particularly to a lack of implementation of the Committee’s decisions in national legal orders and to lack of efficiency in the work of the Committee. From a practitioner’s perspective, this article examines the Committee’s achievements and shortcomings with special regard to the reporting and individual complaint procedures. It considers the state of the Human Rights Treaty Body Review and analyses how the reforms undertaken in its context. The Committee’s cooperation with other human rights treaty bodies is also discussed and the advantages of closer cooperation are presented. The authors conclude that there is still a long way to go and against this background discuss perspectives of a world court of human rights.