As a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), we monitor the UK’s compliance with the seven United Nations (UN) human rights treaties it has agreed to follow.

The rights in these treaties represent binding obligations in international law. That means the UK has pledged to make sure its domestic laws and policies comply with them.

We submit shadow reports on the progress made by the UK to the relevant UN Committees, who decide whether the UK is complying with the treaties.

The Scottish Human Rights Commission and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission also submit reports covering the devolved human rights issues in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Civil society organisations can also submit shadow reports to the UN Committees. We support civil society to understand and use the treaties to improve government accountability.

The seven treaties

• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
• Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (CAT)
• Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities  (CRPD)