About the project
Human rights treaty bodies are independent expert committees mandated to oversee the implementation of the United Nations' core human rights treaties. These independent experts bodies are equipped with various of procedures and tools, to interpret human rights norms and provide both general guidance and state-specific recommendations to State parties regarding their obligations under international human rights law. By doing so, they have the potential to significantly influence human rights practices and outcomes globally.
This doctoral project focuses on the empirical case of the CEDAW Committee, the expert body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It aims to explore the various ways in which these expert treaty bodies can shape international politics and human rights law. Utilizing a socio-legal, actor-centric approach, the project examines how these bodies engage in strategic norm practices during their reviews of state compliance, as well as their strategies, agency, and the interactions between committee members, non-governmental organizations, and advocacy networks. The research employs a multi-method design, incorporating document analysis, elite interviews, and process tracing, to address the central question of how UN treaty body practices can influence and evolve international human rights standards.
Objectives
This project aims to explore how human rights treaty bodies, especially the CEDAW Committee, influence the development of international human rights and serve as agents of change. It will analyse their role in fostering accountability and enhancing human rights protection, ultimately providing a framework to assess their impact on the global human rights landscape for both academic and policy purposes.
