The European Court of Human Rights
We prepare applications that meet the Court’s strict formal requirements, request urgent interim measures when removal is imminent, and follow the execution of judgments before the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. A person living in the United States can, in some circumstances, apply to the Court against a member state such as Türkiye.
The UN human rights system
The UN system works through two main types of mechanisms.
Charter-based bodies
Established under the UN Charter, these focus on broader, systemic concerns.
- Human Rights Council complaint procedure — addresses gross and systematic violations; it is not intended for individual complaints about isolated incidents.
- Special Procedures — Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups that examine specific countries or themes, assess compliance with international standards and make recommendations.
Treaty bodies
Committees of independent experts monitor compliance with specific human rights treaties.
- A committee may review a state only if the state is a party to the relevant treaty.
- Many procedures are optional, and states choose whether to accept them.
- The only mandatory obligation for all States Parties is to submit periodic reports for review.
- A committee’s authority is limited to the rights protected by its treaty, and by any reservation a state made when ratifying it.
Türkiye and the UN treaty bodies
Türkiye is a State Party to 16 core United Nations human rights treaties, and its compliance is monitored by the corresponding treaty bodies. It has recognized the authority of six committees to receive and review individual complaints:
- Human Rights Committee (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights)
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Committee Against Torture
- Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture)
- Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
By recognizing these committees, Türkiye allows individuals under its jurisdiction to seek remedies for alleged violations through the UN system.