Publication
Overlapping institutions in the UN human rights system: Mutually strengthening or undermining?
In this article, Valentina Carraro explores the relationship between overlapping UN human rights institutions, specifically the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). She examines whether these mechanisms mutually strengthen or undermine each other's effectiveness.
- Author
- Valentina Carraro
- Date
- 19 February 2025
- Links
- Read the full article here
Carraro develops an analytical framework to assess the consequences of overlapping activities by international bodies. She argues that institutions mutually strengthen each other if their overlapping activities result in low levels of strategic behaviour by states and high levels of institutional credibility. Conversely, they undermine each other if strategic behaviour increases and credibility decreases.
The research, based on 22 semi-structured interviews with officials involved in these mechanisms, reveals nuanced findings. Contradictions between human rights bodies consistently lead to mutual undermining. However, the consequences of repetitions are more complex and depend on factors related to the institutions and the positionality of the states involved.
Carraro's study contributes to debates on regime complexity in international relations. It provides insights into the conditions under which overlapping UN human rights mechanisms can complement rather than hinder each other's work. The findings have implications for understanding the effectiveness of the broader UN human rights system and how its various components interact.