[TimorLesteStudies] Article: International Human Rights Treaties

[Jenny]

Reporting under International Human Rights 
Treaties: Perspectives from Timor Leste's Experience of the Reformed Process

Annemarie Devereux* and Catherine Anderson**


Human Rights Law Review 2008 8(1):69-104; doi:10.1093/hrlr/ngm040

* Senior Lecturer, Australian Catholic 
University. 
(<mailto:A.Devereux at qut.edu.au>A.Devereux at qut.edu.au) 
or (<mailto:Annemarie.Devereux at acu.edu.au>Annemarie.Devereux at acu.edu.au)
** Operations Analyst (Governance), World Bank, 
Dili, East Timor (<mailto:Canderson2 at worldbank.org>Canderson2 at worldbank.org).

This article explores Timor Leste's experience of 
reporting under the reformed international human 
rights treaties reporting system during the 
period 2004–2007. Whilst consciousness has grown 
of the difficulties faced by states by the 
duplication of treaty reporting processes and the 
resource burden represented by reporting, the 
reforms instituted to date have been 
comparatively minor. Timor's experience with the 
new Common Core Document(CCD)/treaty-specific 
document format affirms that reporting serves 
useful purposes, particularly in stimulating 
human rights education initiatives, 
government/NGO collaboration and awareness of 
human rights gaps in practice. The reformed 
process highlights cross-cutting human rights 
matters. Yet, significant challenges remain, 
particularly for developing, post-conflict 
states, before reporting will attain its desired 
potential of support for improved human rights 
promotion and protection at the national level. 
The CCD itself raises complex conceptual 
difficulties needing resolution. There remains a 
paucity of appropriate methodological tools to 
support the reporting process and facilitate the 
integration of human rights and development 
goals. Further work is thus needed to shape a 
sustainable process for reporting.





***********************************************************************
Please consider the environment before printing this email
***********************************************************************
Visiting Fellow, Fenner School of Environment and Society
Moderator, Timor-Leste Studies Association List
Mobile 0407 230 772
Home 02 6134 6539
Email Jennifer.Drysdale at anu.edu.au
Personal Website http://cres.anu.edu.au/