There are a number of bodies, or mechanisms, set up to monitor how States fullfill the obligations incurred by ratifying international law. Some of these can be used to engage the UN and to have them interfere when a State is violating an international law they have ratified. There are two types of these bodies, Treaty-based bodies, mechanisms set up to monitor the implementation of a specific international law adopted, which can be used when a specific treaty is being violated. There are also charter-based bodies, set up to monitor how certain overall charters, like the UN Declaration of Human Rights, are implemented. The latter often deals with issues not established by legally binding international law, but can still be very useful.

Treaty-based bodies

There are 10 treaty bodies, ranging from the Committee Against Torture (monitoring the Convention against Torture), the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, to the newest one, the Committee on Enforced Disappearance established 2010.

Four of these treaty-based bodies accept individual complaints, that is, a complaint letter can be filed on behalf of an individual who's rights are being violated in related to that international law. These are:

• • the Human Rights Committee, for the International Covenant on Civil- and Political Rights;
• • the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, for the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination;
• • the Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women, for the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women; and
• • the Committee against Torture, for the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

Charter-based bodies

There are several charter-based bodies, all of whom can receive and process individual complaints. These are the Human Rights Council, the Universal Periodic Review, and most importantly, the Special Procedures (which have a long list of sub-sections, for example one for torture, one for arbitrary detention, one for human rights defenders etc). Information on how to utilize these can be found in this section, along with guidelines and contact information.