UN Treaty Bodies elaborate and adopt general comments or recommendations to provide guidance on the legal standards and obligations emanating from the human rights treaties. In doing so, they consolidate the jurisprudence of the Treaty Bodies and create an opportunity for the Committee to resolve controversial legal issues.
General comments may focus on:
- A specific article or provision of a given human rights treaty. E.g., CESCR Committee, General comment No. 23 on the right to just and favorable conditions of work (article 7 IESCR) (2016)
- A specific subject or theme. E.g. CRC Committee, General comment no 25 on Children’s rights in relation to the digital environment (2021)
- A specific group of right holders. E.g., CEDAW Committee, General recommendation no. 39 on Indigenous Women and Girls (2022)
For more general information, you can visit the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Mainstreaming the rights of persons with disabilities in general comments by other UN Treaty Bodies
For more than ten years, IDA has engaged in most of the UN Treaty Bodies’ processes of developing general comments, bringing the perspective of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into each process and debate seeking that general comments are inclusive of persons with disabilities.
The processes for the adoption of general comments include two main opportunities for civil society organizations:
- Days of General Discussion (DGD): These are public events in which committee members, experts in the subject matter, States, civil society organizations, and others engage in a debate. Written submissions are welcome in advance and stakeholders are invited to make oral statements during the event.
- Consultation on the draft general comment: Prior to adopting the final text of a general comment, the committees invite stakeholders, including States, civil society organizations, national human rights institutions, academia, etc., to provide comments on the draft text.