At the end of this session, you should be able to explain the main sources of human rights law and the main human rights instruments name some of the mechanisms in place to implement and enforce human rights law name the main human rights bodies clarify how human rights law applies in armed conflict and state of emergency list the main criteria for the situations in which only the most basic human rights apply

Human Rights yesterday and today Idea of rights dates back to pre-Second World War domestic constitutions For our purposes starts with UN Charter: in its preamble declares as a primary purpose of the United Nations: “promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.” 

Human Rights yesterday and today (continued) In signing on to international human rights treaties, States give away some sovereignty and make themselves vulnerable to be scrutinized by the international community Idea of international human rights: make them known to all people; don’t replace domestic protection of individuals but make it more effective within national systems When a State has ratified a treaty, it is supposed to adopt national measures to ensure that the treaty is implemented on the national level

International Bill of Human Rights contains following instruments: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), 1948 The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR), 1966 The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), 1966 

 First developments on international arena: Antecedents to these: adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide Antecedents to these: minority treaties adhered to on bilateral or multilateral basis, the Charter of the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg and international humanitarian law (was developed much earlier) 

Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN General Assembly as a "common standard of achievement". UDHR is not a treaty. However, today, many of its provisions have become part of international customary law UDHR codified with the adoption of two Covenants in 1966: the CCPR, and the CESCR The two covenants are different in nature because of different type of rights that each addresses

Other major Human Rights Instruments The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), 1965 The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979 The Convention against Torture (CAT), 1984 The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989 The Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its Protocol, 1951 and 1967

Inter-Governmental Organizations International Protection of Human Rights Inter-Governmental Organizations Universal UN UN Spec. Agencies Charter Conventions ECOSOC CCPR CESCR CERD CEDAW CAT CRC …... GA SC, SG Commission on Status of Women Commission on Human Rights Commission on Crime Prevention Sub-Commission UNICEF UNHCR UNHCHR Special Procedures

Derogations during states of emergency: Civil and political rights may be derogated during a state of emergency Derogating from human rights means to “limit” the extent to which these obligations apply The derogation clause is to be found in Article 4 of the CCPR

General Comment on Article 4 “The Committee holds the view that the measures taken under Article 4 are of an exceptional and temporary nature and may only last as long as the life of the nation concerned is threatened and that in times of emergency, the protection of human rights becomes all the more important, particularly those rights from which no derogation can be made.”

Criteria for lawful derogation temporary derogations only exceptional threat to the life of the nation must exist official proclamation of a state of emergency must be made notification to other states and/or relevant treaty-monitoring body reasonable proportionality between means employed and end to be realized must exist other obligations under international law remain applicable measures taken to derogate must not be discriminatory

The following rights are non-derogable: the right to life freedom from torture freedom from slavery freedom from post facto legislation and other judicial guarantees right to recognition before the law freedom of thought, conscience and religion

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Broad mandate of UNHCHR created by the General Assembly resolution of 20 December 1993 Responsibilities of the High Commissioner: "to adopt and to foster a rights based approach across the whole spectrum of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, to promote and protect the realization of the right to development and to specifically include women's rights as human rights." 

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (continued) UNHCHR present in a number of countries; carries out monitoring and promotional activities there Important for UNICEF to coordinate its work in the field of monitoring and reporting with the Office of the High Commissioner

Regional Human Rights Three regional human rights frameworks/treaties in addition to the international framework: African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (1981) American Convention on Human Rights (1969) the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950)

A number of other human rights instruments on the regional level cover certain groups of people or certain issues: Concerning children: African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (adopted in 1990 but not yet in force) European Convention on the Exercise of Children's Rights (adopted in 1996 but not yet in force) Normally, a regional treaty provides more specific provisions. If conflicting treaty provisions: the one that grants the greatest protection prevails