The UN Human Rights Committee's Jurisprudence - A Year In Review 2023
Published on 24 Jul 2024, 01:30 PM
Publication of a comprehensive analysis of the Views adopted by the Human Rights Committee in 2023
Human Rights Committee in Geneva, Palais Wilson
The Centre for Civil and Political Rights is pleased to present the analysis of the 2023 findings of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. This analysis, conducted annually since 2014, highlights the latest developments in the Committee’s jurisprudence and provides deeper insights into the Committee’s work. The purpose is to make the jurisprudence of the Committee more visible and accessible to all individuals involved in the promotion and protection of civil and political rights. We are confident that this publication will be useful to both litigators and human rights defenders.
The research has been carried out in collaboration with the Law Clinic of the LL.M. in International Law of the Graduate Institute of Geneva. The students prepared the related research materials and produced the articles included in this Yearbook under the supervision of the Head of the Law Clinic and previous Committee member, Prof. Yuval Shany, along with Ms. Liline Steyn and the Centre. Moreover, for the second time, the students had the opportunity to present their research to Human Rights Committee members during the 141st session in Palais Wilson, Geneva.
During the year 2023, the Committee held the 137th, 138th, and 139th sessions. According to the official information given by the UN Secretariat, the Committee enlarged its jurisprudence by issuing 165 communications (82 decided on merits, 32 inadmissible, and 51 discontinued). This is a decrease compared to the year 2022, when 175 communications were adopted. Still, the Human Rights Committee continues to receive the highest number of communications among all UN treaty bodies. Regarding the follow-up procedure for Views, the Committee graded 14 communications in 2023, the same as in 2022. Although the most frequent grade was C (not satisfactory), there was an increase in A (satisfactory) and B (partially satisfactory) grades, and a decrease in E (contrary measures) grades. Surprisingly, no D (no cooperation) grades were awarded.
Along with the backlog of submissions, the Committee is now also facing the liquidity crisis of the UN Secretariat and its impact on the Petitions Section. Due to the worrying repercussions this can have on victims of human rights violations globally, the Centre will continue to advocate for the Views as a key avenue to develop international human rights jurisprudence and promote the recognition, redress, and reparation of victims. Additionally, the Centre will persist in urging States parties to fully support the Petitions Section’s work, including through adequate funding.
We would like to thank the students who participated in the project, namely Laura P. Shaw, Poorna Poovamma KM, Medha Patil, and Diego Enrique Uribe Bustamante. Coordination, research, and editing were carried out by Irene Aparicio, Human Rights Officer at the Centre. We are also grateful to Ms. Liline Steyn for the coordination work and to Prof. Yuval Shany for his fantastic support and commitment.
Report Download
The full report is available here.
