Is the reporting system for overseeing the implementation of human rights efficient? Why?

The treaty bodies face a number of practical impediments in monitoring states parties' reports. In particular:

Many states parties have fallen significantly behind in the submission of reports. A significant number of states parties have never submitted their initial reports.

The treaty bodies do not have adequate resources to keep up with the burden of considering states parties' reports, and consequently there are considerable delays, sometimes of several years, between receipt of a report by a treaty body and the formal consideration of the report. This phenomenon is decreasing, however, as treaty bodies have adopted rules permitting states to expunge their whole record of overdue reports with the submission of a single report. It remains to be seen whether this approach will have the ultimate effect of encouraging or discouraging the submission of state reports at regular intervals (as required by the treaties).

When states have failed to produce a report for many years, some of the treaty bodies will now examine the country situation in the absence of a report. This process entails additional difficulties, concerning information-gathering and the ability of the process to encourage reform at the domestic level without the engagement of the state party.