Ratification record of human rights instruments<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration
\nof Human Rights in 1948, the United Nations has sponsored 25
\nhuman rights covenants, conventions and protocols.<\/p>\n
When a nation ratifies an instrument, it becomes legally
\nbinding.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the three most important instruments, if not most
\noften cited, are the International Covenant on Economic, Social
\nand Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and
\nPolitical Rights and the Convention against Torture and other
\nCruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.<\/p>\n
What is the position of the state parties of the United
\nNations toward the three documents? The tally in the Human Rights
\nInternational Instruments Chart of Ratifications as of June 30,
\n1996, a United Nations publication, makes interesting reading.<\/p>\n
North Korea, Iran, Iraq and Libya have ratified the two
\ncovenants, meaning that their legislatures have passed the
\ncovenants into law. The four are United Nations members that the
\nU.S. State Department cites as \"rogue states\".<\/p>\n
On the other hand, the United States has ratified the economic
\ncovenant and the antitorture convention. But for the political
\ncovenant, the United States has only given its signature, while
\nits ratification is still pending.<\/p>\n
With the exception of China, the four other permanent members
\nof the UN Security Council have ratified the three instruments.
\nChina has so far ratified the antitorture convention.<\/p>\n
With regard to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
\n(ASEAN), now numbering nine members, only the Philippines has
\nratified all three. Vietnam has ratified the two covenants, alone
\namong the ASEAN members.<\/p>\n
Laos ratified the antitorture convention, and Indonesia signed
\nit on Oct. 23, 1985. Its ratification, however, is still on hold.<\/p>\n
Member-in-waiting Cambodia has ratified all three instruments.<\/p>\n
Of all 25 human rights instruments under UN auspices, Germany
\nhas ratified the most with 24, followed by the Netherlands and
\nNorway with 21 and Sweden with 20.<\/p>\n
The leader in Asia is the Philippines, which has signed 19
\nhuman right instruments. Among ASEAN, Cambodia has signed 11,
\nLaos nine, Singapore and Vietnam eight each, Myanmar and Malaysia
\nfive each, Indonesia four, Thailand three and Brunei one.<\/p>\n
The U.S. has ratified 10, Japan nine and China 18. The Vatican
\nhas ratified four, excluding the three major instruments cited
\nabove.<\/p>\n
Warief Djajanto Basorie<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ratification-record-of-human-rights-instruments-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }