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THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS TREATY BODY SYSTEM…
Although many of the proposed changes could result in savings and others would
be cost-neutral, several of them would require additional resources. Among these the
proposal to introduce the comprehensive reporting calendar that would strengthen
the system significantly is to be mentioned in first place. According to the High
Commissioner, with its implementation the weeks of meeting time would have to
increase from 73 to 124 annually, and the costs of the system would roughly double
from 56 to 108 mil. USD.
21
Thus, although the fixed calendar was the prime and most
far-reaching recommendation, it was not very surprising that the cost requirement
may constitute a serious obstacle for gaining support for its implementation.
3.3 Inter-governmental process
Several months before the presentation of the High Commissioner’s report
the so-called Cross-Regional Group led by the Russian Federation initiated an
intergovernmental process by which the consultations about the development of the
treaty body system were located within the UN General Assembly.
22
There is a little
doubt that the main motive was to allow the states to play a greater role in negotiating
the final form of the ‘strengthening’, which would actually limit the support for some
of the more courageous ideas.
Nevertheless, from February 2012 the negotiations continued within the UN
General Assembly for another two years. According to a subsequent comprehensive cost
review the total costs of the treaty body system in 2012 amounted to 50 mil. USD.
23
To
clear the in-hand backlog the cost itself would amount to 79.6 mil. USD. In addition,
to clear the anticipated backlog (i.e. if all states parties complied with their reporting
obligations) would amount to 158.4 mil. USD.
24
Later the co-facilitators of the intergovernmental process published a progress
report in which they drafted elements for a resolution that was to be prepared by
them.
25
Afterwards a report on a cost assessment by the Secretary-General
26
elaborated
on the particular recommendations supported by the progress report of the co-
facilitators. The report of the Secretary-General contains two categories. On the one
hand, measures with the potential to save costs and, on the other hand, proposals
requiring additional resources. The measures supported, however, did not contain
the comprehensive reporting calendar.
21
Report of the High Commissioner A/66/860, p. 95-96.
22
GA Res. 66/254 of February 2012. The Cross-Regional Group includes Belarus, Bolivia, China, Cuba,
Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela.
23
To be precise, the report says 49.16 mil. USD. However, according to a later report by Secretary-
General the total costs of the treaty body system in 2012 amounted to 52.1 mil. USD. See A/68/606
of November 2013, p. 11.
24
The costs include only conference services (documentation and meetings). See
Comprehensive cost
review of the human rights treaty body system, Geneva, April 2013
, available at:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRTD/Pages/TBStrengthening.aspx, p. 3-4, 11-12.
25
Report A/67/995 of September 2013.
26
Report A/68/606 of November 2013.