United Nations Human Rights Council and its mechanisms

The distinction between legal and political mechanisms of monitoring and enforcement of international human rights law is clear although it may not always appear to be the case specially to anyone who is not dealing with this subject-matter daily. The reason for the confusion comes from the essence of international legal institutions which do not have powers that are common in domestic jurisdictions. In this regard, sometimes political mechanisms play a part in international legal institutions that are not quite usual in their domestic counterparts. In this essay, I will explain where the distinction between these mechanisms is and why it is clear even though sometimes it seems to be the opposite. First, I will explain which the political and legal mechanisms of monitoring and enforcement of international human rights law are. Second, I will examine where lies the distinction between them. Third, I will list the points of convergence between these mechanisms. In conclusion, I will finish by suggesting some guidelines that will help to identify the separation between legal and political mechanisms.