Individuals or groups who believe their human rights have been violated can file a complaint through international human rights mechanisms. These complaints allow people to seek justice when national systems fail to protect their rights.

Complaints can be submitted to United Nations bodies, such as the UN Human Rights Committee, or to regional human rights courts like the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, or the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, depending on the region and applicable treaties.