Analysis of Legal Protection of Labour Rights in the Context of United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies

Waqar Haider Awan

Abstract

This paper analyzes the legal protection of labour rights through the mechanisms of the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies. It examines the evolution of labour rights within the international human rights framework established post-1945, acknowledging the scholarly debate on whether these rights originated with the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights or have deeper historical roots. The central focus is on evaluating the achievements and challenges of UN Treaty Bodies in monitoring state compliance with international labour rights obligations. The study assesses the role of these independent expert committees in promoting policy consistency and ensuring the implementation of treaty provisions for the protection of workers. It investigates the extent to which these human rights instruments and their monitoring bodies directly or indirectly influence state behaviour. Furthermore, the paper explores the factors that contribute to varying levels of effectiveness among different treaty bodies specifically concerning labour rights, seeking to explain why some mechanisms are more successful than others in achieving their protective mandates.