How to follow up on UN Human Rights Recommendations: A practical guide for civil society

Follow-up activities aim at ensuring that recommendations and decisions by human rights mechanisms and bodies are implemented so as to improve respect, protection and fulfilment of all human rights for all. UN human rights mechanisms and bodies seek to improve the realization of human rights in all countries of the world. Resolutions adopted by the Human Rights Council, the findings of Commissions of Inquiry, recommendations of treaty bodies, special procedures and the universal periodic review, and decisions of treaty bodies on individual cases all aim at closing protection gaps and indicate ways for States and other stakeholders to advance towards the full realization of human rights. All these findings, recommendations and decisions aim at producing a change for the better in the lives of rights-holders. The primary obligation to realize such change lies with States, which bear the duty to respect, protect and fulfil human rights. However, all parts of society, from individuals to the private sector, the international community and CSAs have a role to play in the realization of human rights. Civil  society, in particular, can play a crucial role in following up on human rights recommendations.