International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on December 16, 1966 – along with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.The Covenant on Civil and Political Rights entered into force on March 23, 1976. Its Preamble notes that the “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”Invoking the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Preamble to both Covenants states that “… the ideal of free human beings enjoying freedom from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his economic, social and cultural rights, as well as his civil and political rights.”The Covenant has six signatories, and 173 countries have ratified or acceded to it. The 53 Articles of the 7,044-word Covenant are arranged in six parts. Articles 1-27 (in Parts I, II and III) cover recommendations to State Parties on securing the civil and political rights of all people. Articles 28-45 (Part IV) propose establishing a Human Rights Committee composed of nationals of the State Parties to the Covenant. They prescribe the manner in which State Parties shall report the measures they have adopted to observe the rights recognised by the Covenant. Articles 46 and 47 (Part V) clarify that nothing in the Covenant shall be interpreted as impairing the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, the constitutions of its specialised agencies and “...the inherent right of all peoples to enjoy and utilize fully and freely their natural wealth and resources.” Articles 48-53 (Part VI) discuss the process by which the Covenant is to be ratified and amended. (In UN documents, a ‘State Party’ to a treaty is a country that has ratified or acceded to that particular treaty, and is therefore legally bound by the provisions in the instrument).The following are excerpts from 12 of the 27 Articles in Parts I, II and III that remain especially relevant to the present times:Article 1: Each person has the right to self-determination, by virtue of which they freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural development...