An analysis of the UN human rights treaty bodies, their methods of interpretation, their effectiveness and issues of legitimacy.

1. Introduction Helen Keller and Geir Ulfstein; 2. Examination of state reports Walter Kälin; 3. Individual complaints Geir Ulfstein; 4. General comments of the Human Rights Committee and their legitimacy Helen Keller and Leena Grover; 5. The protection of economic and social rights: a particular challenge? Urfan Khaliq and Robin Churchill; 6. Aspects of human rights interpretation by the UN Treaty bodies Birgit Schlütter; 7. UN Treaty bodies and the Human Rights Council Nigel S. Rodley; 8. The legal status of decisions by human rights treaty bodies in national law Rosanne van Alebeek and André Nollkaemper; 9. Conclusions Helen Keller and Geir Ulfstein.