The Role of Civil Society in Monitoring Treaty Compliance: A Case Study Approach

Abstract

This study aimed to explore how civil society organizations (CSOs) in Tehran engage in monitoring state compliance with international human rights treaties, focusing on their mechanisms, challenges, and strategic adaptations. This qualitative study employed a case study approach involving 17 participants from various civil society organizations based in Tehran. Participants were selected through purposive sampling based on their involvement in treaty monitoring and human rights advocacy. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews conducted until theoretical saturation was reached. Interviews focused on participants' experiences with shadow reporting, legal advocacy, and transnational engagement. Transcribed data were analyzed thematically using NVivo software, following open, axial, and selective coding procedures to identify core themes and subthemes. The analysis revealed three overarching themes: (1) mechanisms of treaty monitoring, including shadow reporting, digital data collection, participation in review sessions, and legal advisory roles; (2) challenges to effective monitoring, such as legal restrictions, data inaccessibility, intimidation, internal fragmentation, and donor dependency; and (3) strategies for enhancing impact, including capacity building, localization of treaty norms, coalition-building, and media engagement. Participants described innovative responses to structural barriers and emphasized the importance of transnational networks and legal literacy in sustaining their monitoring activities. Civil society organizations in Tehran play a critical yet constrained role in promoting treaty compliance under restrictive political conditions. Despite facing systemic obstacles, they utilize a range of adaptive strategies to engage with international mechanisms, influence public opinion, and advocate for rights-based reforms. These findings underscore the importance of supporting localized, knowledge-based, and coalition-driven approaches to human rights monitoring, especially in semi-authoritarian contexts.