You can engage with Treaty Bodies in all areas of their work – periodic reviews, individual communications, general comments, inquiries, early warnings and urgent actions, and following up with Treaty Bodies.
This and the next section focus on:
Early warnings and urgent actions by Treaty Bodies can prevent the further deterioration of a human rights situation in a country. The scope differs depending on the nature of the treaty. For CERD: Early warning measures, aimed at preventing existing situations escalating into conflicts; and urgent procedures, to respond to problems requiring immediate attention to prevent or limit the scale or number of serious violations of the Convention. For CED: An urgent action is a request from the Committee to a State party to immediately take all necessary measures to search for, locate and protect a disappeared person, and investigate the disappearance.
All of this can be used (and shaped!) by you in your advocacy.
Below you will find questions to help you consider why Treaty Body early warnings and urgent actions might be useful in your advocacy, followed by some examples of how other human rights defenders have used these tools.
For more information on what they are, see ISHR Academy: Early warnings and urgent actions – What can Treaty Bodies do?
Examples of using early warnings and urgent actions:
Indigenous communities in French Guiana were opposed to a large gold mining project on their land, called ‘Montagne d’or’. In 2018, with support from ISHR, they submitted a complaint to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). As a consequence, the Committee issued an ‘early warning’ asking France to obtain the free and informed consent of the indigenous communities affected by the mining project or suspend the project. A few weeks after the UN Committee issued its warning, in May 2019 the French authorities withdrew their support for the mining project, amounting to a huge victory for the affected indigenous communities and the environment.
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More information:
In December 2024, CERD adopted a decision triggering its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure in response to the escalating crisis in Gaza and the West Bank. The Committee expressed deep concern about large-scale civilian casualties, destruction of essential infrastructure, mass displacement, and the denial of access to food, water, and medical assistance. It warned that these patterns may reflect racial discrimination and raised the risk of grave international crimes. CERD called on Israel and all States to uphold their obligations under international law, including by ceasing arms transfers that could contribute to serious violations. In May 2025, as the humanitarian situation worsened and all food aid operations in Gaza came to a halt, CERD issued a follow-up statement also under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure. In this urgent call, the Committee reiterated its earlier concerns and emphasized the urgent need for unimpeded humanitarian access. It again highlighted the risks faced by particularly vulnerable groups and called on all States to take appropriate measures to prevent further deterioration of the conditions in the region.These two interventions show how Treaty Bodies can use early warning and urgent action tools to respond to rapidly evolving human rights crises. While not binding, CERD’s statements carry interpretive authority and can be used to support calls for compliance with international obligations.
Continue to the next section for tips on how to request an early warning or urgent action.
