Annual Meeting of Chairpersons of Human Rights Treaty Bodies

The annual Meeting of Chairpersons of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies provides a forum for members of the ten human rights treaty bodies (Human Rights Committee, Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, Committee against Torture, Committee on the Rights of the Child, Committee on Migrant Workers, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Committee on Enforced Disappearance and the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture) to discuss their work and consider ways to enhance the effectiveness of the treaty body system as a whole. Issues addressed at these meetings have included, among other things, the streamlining and overall improvement of human rights reporting procedures, harmonization of the Committees' methods of work, follow-up to World Conferences, and financial issues.

In response to reports from several of the treaty bodies, the General Assembly, in 1983, called on the chairpersons of human rights treaty bodies to meet in order to discuss how to enhance the work of the treaty bodies (A/RES/38/117). The first meeting of chairpersons took place in 1984. Since 1995, the chairpersons of human rights treaty bodies meet annually per GA resolution 49/178.

Informal consultations with States parties as well as UN partners and NGOs are a standard feature of the annual meeting of chairpersons.

Information from secretariat

• History of TB Chairpersons meetings from 2015
• Guidance for States and other stakeholders by the Treaty Bodies on the COVID-19
• Information on sessions of the treaty bodies in 2022
• Team up Calendar

The Microsoft Teamup online calendar is used by the treaty bodies and managed by OHCHR. In the calendar, treaty bodies appear in blue. On the left hand side, you may click on hide or see calendars.

Using the calendar, you can sign up for email notifications, set reminders, and keep track of the deadlines for submissions.

Access the calendar at: https://teamup.com/kscny9emo7hsum2ydj (please use Google Chrome or Firefox browsers).

We hope you will find this calendar helpful. If you are having difficulties using the calendar, or would like to provide feedback, please email ohchr-tbs@un.org.

Latest meeting

• 35th meeting of Chairpersons (29 May - 2 June 2023)

Previous meetings

• 34th meeting of Chairpersons (30 May - 3 June 2022)
• 33rd Meeting of Chairpersons (Online - 7-11 June 2021)
• 32nd Meeting of Chairs (Online - 27-30 July, 2 Oct & 14 Dec 2020)
• 31st Meeting of Chairpersons (June 2019)
• 30th Meeting of Chairpersons (May - June 2018)
• 29th Meeting of Chairpersons (June 2017)
• 28th Meeting of Chairpersons (June 2016)
• 27th Meeting of Chairpersons (June 2015)
• 26th Meeting of Chairpersons (June 2014)
• 25th Meeting of Chairpersons (June 2013)
• 24th Meeting of Chairpersons (June 2012)
• 23rd Meeting of Chairpersons (June 2011)
• See all meetings

Informal meetings and Joint public statements of the Chairs of the Treaty Bodies

• Bilateral Meeting between the Interamerican Court of Human Rights and the Chairs of the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies

• Universal human rights including international labour standards essential to sustainable development and crisis control: UN experts – Third anniversary of the UN Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights (24 February 2023)
  English – word, pdf
  French – word, pdf
  Spanish – word, pdf
  The statement was also published on the ILO webpage.

• UN committee Chairpersons call for collective efforts and institutional support, Human Rights Day, 10 December 2022
• Comprehensive, inclusive and universal COVID-19 human rights policies urgently needed - UN Treaty Bodies’ statement on Human Rights Day (10 December 2021)
• Joint Statement on “Corruption and Human Rights” (31 May 2021)
• Letter from the Chairs of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies in relation to the preparation of the Ministerial Declaration of the High-Level Segment of the Economic and Social Council and the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development (22 April 2021)
• Submission by the Chairs of the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies to the preparation of the Ministerial Declaration of the High-Level Segment of the Economic and Social Council and the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development (7 April 2021)
• Work of human rights treaty bodies at risk, warn UN Committee Chairs (4 August 2020) 
• OHCHR | UN budget shortfalls seriously undermine the work of the Human Rights Treaty bodies (17 March 2019)
• Joint Statement on the UN Defenders Declaration (1 June 2018)
• Human Rights against Violence - Joint Statement by Treaty Body Chairpersons (26 January 2015)
  English | French
• Joint statement on the post 2015 development agenda (18 January 2015)
• Inter-Committee Meetings (2002-2011)