First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is an international treaty establishing an individual complaint mechanism for the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 16 December 1966, and entered into force on 23 March 1976. As of July 2024, it had 116 state parties and 35 signatories.[1] Three of the ratifying states (Belarus, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago) have denounced the protocol.
Summary
[edit]The Optional Protocol establishes an individual complaints mechanism for the ICCPR similar to those of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Article 14 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Parties agree to recognise the competence of the UN Human Rights Committee (HRC) to consider complaints from individuals who claim their rights under the Covenant have been violated.[2] Several complainants must have exhausted all domestic remedies, and anonymous complaints are not permitted.[3] The Committee must bring complaints to the attention of the relevant party, which must respond within six months.[4] Following consideration, the Committee must forward its conclusions to the party and the complainant.[5]
While not expressly provided for in the Protocol, the HRC regards the recognition of its competence to hear complaints as imposing an obligation not to hinder access to the committee and to prevent any retaliation against complainants.[6] It regards its findings as authoritative determinations of obligations under the Covenant, and their adoption as being required in order to provide an "effective remedy" under Article 2 of the ICCPR.[7]
The Optional Protocol required ten ratifications to come into force.[8]
Reservations
[edit]A number of parties have made reservations and interpretative declarations to their application of the Optional Protocol.
Austria does not recognise the jurisdiction of the HRC to consider complaints which have already been examined by the European Commission on Human Rights.[1]
Chile, Croatia, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Malta, Russia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, and Turkey consider the Optional Protocol to only apply to complaints which arose after it entered into force for those countries.[1]
Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Turkey and Uganda do not recognise the jurisdiction of the HRC to consider complaints which have already been considered under another international complaint procedure.[1]
Germany and Turkey do not recognise the jurisdiction of the HRC to hear complaints resulting from Article 26 of the ICCPR, covering discrimination and equality before the law, except insofar as they relate to rights expressly affirmed in the Covenant.[1]
Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago do not recognise the jurisdiction of the HRC to hear complaints relating to their use of the death penalty.[1]
Venezuela does not recognise the competence of the HRC to hear complaints regarding in-absentia trials for offences against the republic.[1]
Decisions
[edit]- Toonen v. Australia (1994) – held that sexual orientation was included in the treaty's antidiscrimination provisions as a protected status.
- Waldman v. Canada (1999) – religious discrimination in school funding.
- Diergaardt v. Namibia (2000) – linguistic discrimination in communication with authorities.
- Ignatāne v. Latvia (2001) – non-objective way of evaluating official language skills of a candidate in elections.
- Ioane Teitiota v. New Zealand (2020) - Without robust national and international efforts, the effects of climate change in receiving states may expose individuals to a violation of their rights under articles 6 or 7 of the Covenant, thereby triggering the non-refoulement obligations of sending states. However, it was not the case in this particular case.[9]
See also
[edit]- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure
- Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g "UN Treaty Collection, Status of the First Optional Protocol to the ICCPR". UN OHCHR. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ OP1-ICCPR, Article 1.
- ^ OP1-ICCPR, Articles 2 and 3.
- ^ OP1-ICCPR, Article 4.
- ^ OP1-ICCPR, Article 5.
- ^ Paragraph 4, "HRC General Comment 33: Obligations of States Parties under the Optional Protocol" (PDF). UN HRC. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
- ^ HRC General Comment 33, paragraphs 13–14.
- ^ OP1-ICCPR, Article 9.
- ^ "Refworld | Ioane Teitiota v. New Zealand (Advance unedited version)".
External links
[edit]- Text of the Optional Protocol
- List of parties
- Human Rights Committee, the Protocol's monitoring body.
- Human rights instruments
- Treaties concluded in 1966
- Treaties entered into force in 1976
- United Nations treaties
- Treaties of Albania
- Treaties of Algeria
- Treaties of Andorra
- Treaties of the People's Republic of Angola
- Treaties of Argentina
- Treaties of Armenia
- Treaties of Australia
- Treaties of Austria
- Treaties of Azerbaijan
- Treaties of Barbados
- Treaties of Belarus
- Treaties of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic
- Treaties of Belgium
- Treaties of Benin
- Treaties of Bolivia
- Treaties of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Treaties of Brazil
- Treaties of Bulgaria
- Treaties of Burkina Faso
- Treaties of Cameroon
- Treaties of Canada
- Treaties of Cape Verde
- Treaties of the Central African Republic
- Treaties of Chad
- Treaties of Chile
- Treaties of Colombia
- Treaties of the Republic of the Congo
- Treaties of Costa Rica
- Treaties of Ivory Coast
- Treaties of Croatia
- Treaties of Cyprus
- Treaties of Czechoslovakia
- Treaties of the Czech Republic
- Treaties of Zaire
- Treaties of Denmark
- Treaties of Djibouti
- Treaties of the Dominican Republic
- Treaties of Ecuador
- Treaties of El Salvador
- Treaties of Equatorial Guinea
- Treaties of Estonia
- Treaties of Finland
- Treaties of France
- Treaties of the Gambia
- Treaties of Georgia (country)
- Treaties of Germany
- Treaties of Ghana
- Treaties of Greece
- Treaties of Guatemala
- Treaties of Guinea
- Treaties of Guinea-Bissau
- Treaties of Guyana
- Treaties of Honduras
- Treaties of the Hungarian People's Republic
- Treaties of Iceland
- Treaties of Ireland
- Treaties of Italy
- Treaties of Kazakhstan
- Treaties of Kyrgyzstan
- Treaties of Latvia
- Treaties of Lesotho
- Treaties of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
- Treaties of Liechtenstein
- Treaties of Lithuania
- Treaties of Luxembourg
- Treaties of Madagascar
- Treaties of Malawi
- Treaties of the Maldives
- Treaties of Mali
- Treaties of Malta
- Treaties of Mauritius
- Treaties of Mexico
- Treaties of the Mongolian People's Republic
- Treaties of Montenegro
- Treaties of Namibia
- Treaties of Nepal
- Treaties of the Netherlands
- Treaties of New Zealand
- Treaties of Niger
- Treaties of Nicaragua
- Treaties of Norway
- Treaties of Panama
- Treaties of Paraguay
- Treaties of Peru
- Treaties of the Philippines
- Treaties of Poland
- Treaties of Portugal
- Treaties of South Korea
- Treaties of Moldova
- Treaties of Romania
- Treaties of Russia
- Treaties of San Marino
- Treaties of Seychelles
- Treaties of Senegal
- Treaties of Serbia and Montenegro
- Treaties of Sierra Leone
- Treaties of Slovakia
- Treaties of Slovenia
- Treaties of the Somali Democratic Republic
- Treaties of South Africa
- Treaties of the Soviet Union
- Treaties of Spain
- Treaties of Sri Lanka
- Treaties of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Treaties of Suriname
- Treaties of Sweden
- Treaties of Tajikistan
- Treaties of North Macedonia
- Treaties of Trinidad and Tobago
- Treaties of Tunisia
- Treaties of Turkey
- Treaties of Turkmenistan
- Treaties of Uganda
- Treaties of Ukraine
- Treaties of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
- Treaties of Uruguay
- Treaties of Uzbekistan
- Treaties of Venezuela
- Treaties of Yugoslavia
- Treaties of Zambia
- 1966 in New York City
- Treaties adopted by United Nations General Assembly resolutions
- Treaties extended to the Netherlands Antilles
- Treaties extended to Aruba
- Treaties extended to the Faroe Islands
- Treaties extended to Greenland
- Treaties extended to Portuguese Macau