DUKE LAW NEWS — The U.S. Department of State has launched a campaign to elect Harry R. Chadwick, Sr. Professor of Law Laurence R. Helfer to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Helfer was announced as the U.S. nominee for the position on the international monitoring body in December 2021. The Committee is comprised of 18 independent experts charged with monitoring compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), an influential human rights treaty that has been ratified by 173 states parties. Helfer will engage in multiple meetings with UN missions, foreign ministries, and civil society groups leading up to the June 17 election at UN headquarters in New York. If elected, he would serve a four-year term beginning in 2023. Currently there is no U.S. member on the Committee. “The Committee’s engagement with governments has changed numerous laws and helped to improve the lives of individuals all over the world,” Helfer said. “I am honored that the United States has nominated me to be part of that crucial effort.” The ICCPR, adopted in 1966, protects universally recognized civil and political liberties and fundamental freedoms, including the right to life, liberty, and physical security; the right to be free from slavery and torture; the right to a fair trial; and the freedoms of expression and association.