United Nations accountability for violations of international human rights law

The course examines UN accountability for human rights violations, drawing on my experience as a member of the Human Rights Advisory Panel (HRAP) that advised UNMIK on its compliance with international human rights standards. It outlines the contexts in which alleged human rights violations attributable to the UN arise, with examples taken especially from the HRAP case law; the concepts of responsibility and accountability of international organisations; the obstacles facing an individual seeking redress against the UN in national courts; and mechanisms adopted by the UN for determining accountability, including the HRAP. UNMIK's failure to respond to the HRAP’s recommendations for redress leads to consideration of what a future UN accountability mechanism might look like. The central proposition is that when the UN exercises power and control over individuals, it should be subject to the same human rights constraints in the exercise of those powers as states and be held accountable when it falls short.