New York, 16 December 1966
Objectives
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 was codified into two
Covenants, which the General Assembly adopted on 16 December 1966. Together with
the Optional Protocols, they constitute the "International Bill of Human
Rights". The Covenant is a landmark in the efforts of the international
community to promote human rights. It defends the right to life and stipulates
that no individual can be subjected to torture, enslavement, forced labour and
arbitrary detention or be restricted from such freedoms as movement, expression
and association.
Key Provisions
The Covenant is divided into six parts. Part I reaffirms the right of
self-determination. Part II formulates general obligations by States parties,
notably to implement the Covenant through legislative and other measures, to
provide effective remedies to victims and to ensure gender equality, and it
restricts the possibility of derogation. Part III spells out the classical civil
and political rights, including the right to life, the prohibition of torture,
the right to liberty and security of person, the right to freedom of movement,
the right to a fair hearing, the right to privacy, the right to freedom of
religion, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, the right to
family life, the rights of children to special protection, the right to
participate in the conduct of public affairs, the over-arching right to equal
treatment, and the special rights of persons belonging to ethnic, religious and
linguistic minorities. Part IV regulates the election of members of the Human
Rights Committee, the State reporting procedure and the inter-State complaints
mechanism. Part V stipulates that nothing in the Covenant shall be interpreted
as impairing the inherent right of all peoples to enjoy and to utilize fully
their natural resources. Part VI provides that the Covenant shall extend to all
parts of federal States and sets out the amendment procedure. The Covenant is
not subject to denunciation.
The Human Rights Committee monitors implementation by States parties in a
variety of ways. Initial and periodic reports are examined by the plenary, which
formulates concluding observations with concrete recommendations. In order to
assist States parties in preparing reports, the Committee has formulated 28
general comments, which constitute a commentary on the provisions of the
Covenant. Well in advance of the examination of a report, the Committee forwards
a list of issues to the State party concerned. The list is prepared by the
members and takes into consideration information received from other United
Nations organs and specialized agencies as well as from non-governmental
organizations.