In its resolution 68/268, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly, on a biennial basis, a comprehensive report on the status of the human rights treaty body system. This report is the second report submitted pursuant to that request.

Summary

The report, together with 24 statistical annexes provided above, provides information on the progress achieved in implementing resolution 68/268. The resolution identifies criteria by which to assess the future needs of treaty bodies in terms of meeting time and the corresponding level of human and financial resource requirements, based on the number of State party reports and individual communications received and the workload targets specified in the resolution.

The report provides a detailed consideration of the progress made on the elements identified in the resolution and areas for improvement that are essential for the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system. The report identifies the challenges remaining, such as the increasing number of activities undertaken by the treaty bodies, which has not been accompanied by adequate resources. The report also emphasizes that in the lead-up to the review by the General Assembly of the human rights treaty body system in 2020, it is essential that discussions be held in an open, transparent and inclusive manner to ensure that the contribution of the treaty body system to meeting the needs of Member States is fully appreciated and to find adequate solutions to existing challenges.