B. Extra-Conventional Mechanisms: Special Procedures
• Special Rapporteurs, Special representatives, Special envoys and Independent experts, Working groups – thematic or country (Urgent Actions)
• Complaints procedure 1503.

“Conventional mechanisms” refer to committees of independent experts established to monitor the implementation of international human rights treaties by States parties. By ratifying a treaty, States parties willingly submit their domestic legal system, administrative procedures and other national practices to periodic review by the committees. These committees are often referred to as treaty-monitoring bodies (or “treaty bodies”).
In contrast, “extra-conventional mechanisms” refer to those mechanisms established by mandates emanating, not from treaties, but from resolutions of relevant United Nations legislative organs, such as the Commission on Human Rights or the General Assembly. Extra-conventional mechanisms may also be established by expert bodies, such as the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (formerly the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities). They nor- mally take the form of an independent expert or a working group and are often referred to as “special procedures”.

A. Conventional mechanisms

3.1 Treaty-monitoring bodies