Resources and Tools

This manual provides a comprehensive introduction to the human rights Treaty Bodies, national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up (NMRFs), and the procedures for reporting to the Treaty Bodies.

This handbook serves as a guide on the nominations and elections, independence and accountability, workload and expectations, and practical details of the offices of Treaty Body members.

This guide explains national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up (NMRF), how they work and how they may be structured. It provides advice on the elements that States must consider when establishing or strengthening their NMRF, with examples of State practice.

This handbook is a practical tool for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to work with the Special Procedures, the UN’s independent human rights experts assigned to investigate and report on situations of human rights. The information provided in this guide will help NGOs engage more strategically with the Special Procedures to increase the impact of the experts' work around the world.

This table provides a comparison of the main UN human rights mechanisms, to help you decide what might be most useful for your advocacy. Tips & Tricks are a series of guides aimed to support human rights defenders in their advocacy with international and regional human rights mechanisms.

An example of the Human Rights Council Programme of Work (September session).

This resource provides a list of useful supporting documents you may with to prepare before coming to Geneva. ISHR Tips & Tricks are a series of guides aimed to support human rights defenders in their advocacy with international and regional human rights mechanisms.

Launched by a coalition of 39 NGOs, this report documents a pattern of increased and specific threats against those who work on business and human rights issues in the Americas. The report covers the conditions faced by defenders of the rights to land, territory and the environment who work throughout the continent on issues regarding the impact of large-scale economic projects by public and private, national and international companies.

English Version. Available in English and Spanish.

This report provides a snapshot of experiences of intimidation, restrictions and reprisals rather than an exhaustive review. By documenting and analysing examples of intimidation, restrictions and reprisals, the report aims to persuade decision-makers of the negative impact of such practices, and to assist and inform efforts to contest them. A series of recommendations are provided.

English Version. Available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish.

This submission to the 24th Annual Meeting of Special Procedures examines the steps taken and those still required by UN Special Procedures to respond to civil society recommendations to strengthen this mechanism.