The vast majority of the work you can do with Treaty Bodies can be done from home. This section explains what you can do without coming to Geneva.
Engagement
It is not necessary to come to Geneva to engage with the Treaty Bodies. They are quite accessible and can be contacted via email addressed to their secretariat at OHCHR. Contact details are also available on the individual webpages of the Treaty Body. See also ISHR Academy: Treaty Bodies Table.
Webcast
All sessions of a Treaty Body are broadcast live and recordings kept on the UN Web TV website.
In 2019, the NGO Child Rights Information Centre in Moldova gathered a group of children to follow the periodic review of Moldova by the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), through the webcast of the session which was broadcast on UN Web TV. The children observed the dialogue between their government and the CRC in Geneva and sent their live comments and questions to the CRC members through the NGO, Child Rights Connect. The webcast was an opportunity for the children to follow the session from a friendly environment and engage in the process without having to travel to Geneva.
Mailing Lists
For detailed and regular updates on Treaty Body sessions, including deadlines for submission of information, you can sign up to the OHCHR Civil Society Weekly Update which includes the OHCHR Treaty Bodies Weekly Update.
Website
Each Treaty Body has a dedicated website. Upcoming events, recent developments and news in connection with each Treaty Body can be found on their respective website. You can also find contact information here, including email addresses.
Social Media
The OHCHR is active on social media, including X (Twitter) (@UNHumanRights), Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and disseminates information on Treaty Bodies via these platforms.
You can follow the work of each Treaty Body on the UN Treaty Bodies X (Twitter) account (@UNTreatyBodies). The Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW) has its own X (Twitter account) (@UN_CMW), as does the Committee on Child Rights (@UNChildRights1).
Several individual Treaty Body members are quite active on social media. You can receive important, up to date information on Treaty Body happenings by following Treaty Body members on Twitter. Also, if they write tweets on your issue, you can retweet their posts to spread awareness.
Examples:
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
Human Rights Committee (CCPR)
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Committee Against Torture (CAT)
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT)
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)
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