Intrernational Human Rights

International Bill of Rights (IBR)

• 3-part plan to implement enforceable legislation on human rights

• Proved controversial as not everyone shared the same views on inalienable rights, so the UN divided the bill into 2 sets that would be ratified by the majority of nations

  • 1. UDHR

  • 2. Int’l Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (worker’s, family, health, standard of living, culture, and education)
    3. Int’l Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (sanctity of life,, protecting accused persons/criminals, mobility rights, and civil rights)

International Covenant on Economic, Social, Cultural, Rights (CESR)

• CESCR – 1. “encourages” the state to act – puts onus on state, $$, resources

  • Not seen as binding

  • 2. States are required to submit reports every 6 years with reasons as to why they did not achieve their goal – only repercussion is a “call out” to the General Assembly from the committee – not effective…

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR)

• CCPR – more successful despite abuses still occurring 

• States must submit reports to UN HR Committee (HRC) every 5 years explaining how Civil/Political rights are protected by the state

• Reports can be submitted by HRC to General Assembly to put pressure on states to improve – abuses become known to international community

Conventions of the Rights of a Child

• Canada is a signatory on the UN Committee on the Rights of a Child

• Major Influences:

  • 1. Convention on the Rights of a Child (1959) – special protection to maintain freedom and dignity and be given lawful means to protect their health (mental/physical), moral, and spiritual conditions

• 2. 1979 – Year of the Child – 1959 Declaration put into legal effect – now International Law

• 1990 Conventions on the Rights of  Child – most comprehensive agreement on human rights

• Includes many clarifications including:

  • Assurance that a child can form his/her own opinion

  • Children can be heard in judicial proceedings

  • “Best interests of the child” shall be given priority

  • Protection from sexual exploitation, female circumcision

  • Protection of the rights of indigenous children 
    

• Left vague…the definition of a “child” – Why?