The Effectiveness of the UN Human Rights System ─ Reform and the Judicialisation of Human Rights

The UN human rights agenda has reached the mature age of 70 years and many UN mechanisms created to implement this agenda are themselves in their middle-age, yet human rights violations are still a daily occurrence around the globe. The score card of the UN human rights mechanisms appears impressive in terms of promoting human rights, spreading the education of human rights and engaging States in a dialogue to promote human rights, but when it comes to holding governments to account for violations of human rights the picture is much more dismal.

This book examines the effectiveness of UN mechanisms and suggests measures to reform them in order to create a system that is robust and fit to serve the 21st century. This book casts a critical eye on the rationale and effectiveness of each of the major UN human rights mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council, the human rights treaty bodies, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteurs and other Charter-based bodies. Surya P. Subedi argues most of the UN human rights mechanisms have remained toothless entities and proposes measures to reform and strengthen it by depoliticising the workings of UN human rights mechanisms and judicialising human rights at the international level.

Professor Surya P. Subedi, O.B.E. is Professor of International Law, University of Leeds, member of the Institut de Droit International, former UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia and barrister, Three Stone Buildings, Lincoln’s Inn, London.