PART I
Chapter 1: What are human rights ? = 1
Defi nition = 1
Basic human rights principles = 4
Human rights and State sovereignty = 8
Democracy, human rights and parliaments = 8
Chapter 2: What State obligations arise from human rights? = 11
Chapter 3: International human rights instruments = 17
Th e emergence of international human rights law = 17
Th e International Bill of Human Rights = 17
Core human rights treaties = 18
Other human rights instruments of the United Nations = 19
Chapter 4: May Governments restrict human rights? = 21
Limitation clauses = 21
Derogation in a state of emergency = 23
Reservations to international or regional human rights treaties = 23
Counter-terrorism measures and human rights = 24
Chapter 5: United Nations human rights treaty-monitoring bodies = 27
Membership and functioning = 27
Reporting procedure = 28
Individual complaints procedure = 29
Inter-State complaints procedure = 30
Inquiry procedures under CAT and the Optional Protocol to CEDAW = 32
Th e system of regular visits to detention centres established
under the Optional Protocol to CAT = 33
Chapter 6: Charter-based system of human rights protection under the United Nations Commission on Human Rights = 35
Th e confi dential “1503 procedure” = 35
Th e special procedures = 36
Th e Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights = 38
Chapter 7: The Offi ce of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights = 39
Chapter 8: Integrating human rights into the work of the United Nations = 43
Human rights in the General Assembly and its permanent programmes = 44
Human rights and the Security Council = 44
Human rights and the “United Nations family” = 45
Chapter 9: Regional human rights treaties and monitoring = 49
Africa = 49
Th e Americas = 51
Arab region = 51
Asia and the Pacifi c = 52
Europe = 52
Chapter 10: Combating impunity: the International Criminal Court (ICC) = 55
Th e International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) = 56
Th e International Criminal Court (ICC) = 56
Th e Set of Principles for the protection and promotion of human rights through action to combat impunity = 59
PART II
Chapter 11: The role of parliamentarians in the protection and promotion of human rights = 63
Basic principles = 63
Parliamentary action to promote and protect human rights = 66
Chapter 12: What parliamentarians should know about the civil and political rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights = 81
Th e right to life = 81
Prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment: the right to personal integrity and dignity = 90
Th e right to personal liberty = 94
Administration of justice: the right to a fair trial = 97
Th e right to privacy and the protection of family life = 100
Freedom of movement = 105
Freedom of thought, conscience and religion = 108
Freedom of opinion and expression = 110
Freedom of peaceful assembly and association = 117
Th e right to participate in government = 120
Chapter 13: What parliamentarians should know about the economic, social and cultural rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights = 125
Social and economic trends and developments = 125
Th e right to social security = 130
Th e right to work and rights at work = 132
Th e right to an adequate standard of living = 134
Th e right to education = 146
Concluding remark = 150
List of abbreviations = 151
Annex 1 Universal Declaration of Human Rights = 153
Annex 2 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights = 158
Annex 3 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights = 175
Annex 4 International instruments on the Internet = 185
Chapter 1: What are human rights ? = 1
Defi nition = 1
Basic human rights principles = 4
Human rights and State sovereignty = 8
Democracy, human rights and parliaments = 8
Chapter 2: What State obligations arise from human rights? = 11
Chapter 3: International human rights instruments = 17
Th e emergence of international human rights law = 17
Th e International Bill of Human Rights = 17
Core human rights treaties = 18
Other human rights instruments of the United Nations = 19
Chapter 4: May Governments restrict human rights? = 21
Limitation clauses = 21
Derogation in a state of emergency = 23
Reservations to international or regional human rights treaties = 23
Counter-terrorism measures and human rights = 24
Chapter 5: United Nations human rights treaty-monitoring bodies = 27
Membership and functioning = 27
Reporting procedure = 28
Individual complaints procedure = 29
Inter-State complaints procedure = 30
Inquiry procedures under CAT and the Optional Protocol to CEDAW = 32
Th e system of regular visits to detention centres established
under the Optional Protocol to CAT = 33
Chapter 6: Charter-based system of human rights protection under the United Nations Commission on Human Rights = 35
Th e confi dential “1503 procedure” = 35
Th e special procedures = 36
Th e Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights = 38
Chapter 7: The Offi ce of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights = 39
Chapter 8: Integrating human rights into the work of the United Nations = 43
Human rights in the General Assembly and its permanent programmes = 44
Human rights and the Security Council = 44
Human rights and the “United Nations family” = 45
Chapter 9: Regional human rights treaties and monitoring = 49
Africa = 49
Th e Americas = 51
Arab region = 51
Asia and the Pacifi c = 52
Europe = 52
Chapter 10: Combating impunity: the International Criminal Court (ICC) = 55
Th e International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) = 56
Th e International Criminal Court (ICC) = 56
Th e Set of Principles for the protection and promotion of human rights through action to combat impunity = 59
PART II
Chapter 11: The role of parliamentarians in the protection and promotion of human rights = 63
Basic principles = 63
Parliamentary action to promote and protect human rights = 66
Chapter 12: What parliamentarians should know about the civil and political rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights = 81
Th e right to life = 81
Prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment: the right to personal integrity and dignity = 90
Th e right to personal liberty = 94
Administration of justice: the right to a fair trial = 97
Th e right to privacy and the protection of family life = 100
Freedom of movement = 105
Freedom of thought, conscience and religion = 108
Freedom of opinion and expression = 110
Freedom of peaceful assembly and association = 117
Th e right to participate in government = 120
Chapter 13: What parliamentarians should know about the economic, social and cultural rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights = 125
Social and economic trends and developments = 125
Th e right to social security = 130
Th e right to work and rights at work = 132
Th e right to an adequate standard of living = 134
Th e right to education = 146
Concluding remark = 150
List of abbreviations = 151
Annex 1 Universal Declaration of Human Rights = 153
Annex 2 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights = 158
Annex 3 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights = 175
Annex 4 International instruments on the Internet = 185