Continuing evolution of the United Nations treaty bodies system

The primary aim of the chapter is to trace the continuing procedural evolution of the treaty bodies, while also assessing the effectiveness both of the structures in place and the proposed reforms in promoting and protecting human rights. First, section I of the chapter briefly presents the treaty bodies ‘system’. Section II identifies the main procedural challenges faced by the treaty bodies and reviews the reforms that have already been undertaken to address them. Finally, section III brings up to date the reform debate and looks at the prospects for further change.