Introduction

This chapter is written from the perspective of a large international non-governmental organisation (NGO): it seeks to share some of the experiences which Amnesty International has had with the UN treaty bodies. Amnesty International operates in several different contexts within the UN system. The organisation works with the political bodies (the Security Council, General Assembly and Commission on Human Rights), as well as with the various agencies, expert bodies, and field operations.

The first thing that strikes one when considering the use made of the treaty bodies by NGOs is the ‘splendid isolation’ of the treaty bodies from the rest of the UN system. The treaty bodies are considered by some to be the heart of the human rights system, and the treaty bodies see themselves as the hub around which others should circle. The reality is that the treaty bodies are becoming more and more peripheral to the UN system and need to reach out to establish new links. In preparing this chapter the author spoke to two former UN officials who had headed UN human rights field operations. Neither ex-director could remember having had any contact or use for the treaty bodies. They considered the treaty bodies irrelevant for the ‘real’ human rights work which was being performed in the country. This chapter will highlight the need for new links to the treaty bodies and will put forward a series of suggestions for a more integrated approach to human rights monitoring in the UN system.