What peer review mechanisms achieve
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Peer review mechanisms allow countries participating in an international agreement to examine one another's implementation, rather than relying solely on self-reporting or a single central authority to judge compliance. The underlying idea is that countries facing similar challenges are often better placed to spot a genuine gap than an outside observer might be.
A typical peer review examines whether domestic laws actually match agreed international standards, whether enforcement is genuinely active rather than symbolic, and whether the country has the practical institutional capacity to carry out its commitments. Findings are usually published, creating a public record that other countries and civil society can reference directly.
Because peer review depends on countries being willing to criticise one another honestly, its effectiveness varies with how seriously participants take the process. A review conducted mainly out of diplomatic courtesy achieves far less than one where reviewers are genuinely willing to name a specific, unresolved shortcoming.