Parliamentary Liaison and Legislation and Treaty Body Monitoring

Treaty monitoring bodies and ratified treaties.

Parliamentary Liaison and Legislation and Treaty Body Monitoring

The work of the Parliamentary Unit is of a policy, legal, advocacy and research nature. This programme was previously known as the Parliamentary Unit and was responsible for parliamentary liaison and legislation monitoring at a national level mostly. From 1 April 2007, the Parliamentary Unit has been expanded into a fully-fledged programme of the Commission. Its scope and work extends to include:

• Parliamentary liaison and legislation monitoring at a national and provincial level
• Monitoring and engaging with the UN Treaty Body System

The work of the programme seeks to impact on the promotion and protection of human rights through engaging with policy and legislative development through advocacy and submission writing and conducting research in order to engage with the commissions obligations at an international treaty body level. With its base in Cape Town, in close proximity to Parliament, the programme is responsible for facilitating parliamentary liaison.

The objectives of the programme are:

• Liaise with government and civil society concerning South Africa’s international treaty body obligations
• Conduct research, develop reports and follow up on recommendations from treaty bodies
• To facilitate interaction between the commission and parliament
• To promote and protect human rights by providing input on proposed legislation that impacts on human rights, nationally and provincially
• To support participative democracy through facilitating civil society engagement with legislation making though conducting training, hosting workshops and seminars, and facilitating a civil society forum to obtain input on parliamentary and government liaison
• To promote oversight of economic and social rights through provincial parliaments

UNIVERSAL PERIOD REVIEW - 2008