Choosing where to submit your complaint

This comparison table will help guide you in knowing where to turn should you wish to submit a complaint of an alleged human rights violation.

	Special procedures	Treaty bodies	Human Rights Council
What can you complain about?
Any human rights			check
Any of the rights that fall under one of the 40+ Special Procedures mandates	check
Any of the rights protected by the treaty under which you are complaining		check
Who can submit a complaint?
Victims	check	check	check
Individuals acting on behalf of victims		If they have the written consent of the victims
Groups of individuals or communities	check	If they have the written consent of the victims	check
Non-governmental organizations		If they have the written consent of the victims	check
Civil society organizations	check	If they have the written consent of the victims
National human rights institutions	check	If they have the written consent of the victims
In each case, there are eligibility criteria. See the FAQs for each option.	Special Procedures FAQs	Treaty Bodies FAQs	Human Rights Council FAQs
Who can you make a complaint against?
Any Member State of the United Nations	check		check
Any State that is party to the treaty in question		check
Any State that has accepted the Committee’s competence to examine individual complaints		check
Inter-governmental organizations	check
Non-state actors	check
Is the complaints procedure public?
Public	check	check
Non-public			check
How long does it take?
As soon as 24 hours (for urgent cases)	check
Weeks or months			check
Two to three years		check
How do you start the complaints procedure?
Learn more and get details here	check	check	check
Get and fill out a complaint form	check	check	check
	Special procedures FAQs	Treaty bodies FAQs	Human Rights Council FAQs
	Get Complaint Form	Get Complaint Form	Get Complaint Form

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Choosing where to submit your complaint

What can you complain about?

Who can submit a complaint?

Who can you make a complaint against?

Is the complaints procedure public?

How long does it take?

How do you start the complaints procedure?