Ratification record of human rights instruments

JAKARTA (JP): Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the United Nations has sponsored 25 human rights covenants, conventions and protocols.

When a nation ratifies an instrument, it becomes legally binding.

Perhaps the three most important instruments, if not most often cited, are the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

What is the position of the state parties of the United Nations toward the three documents? The tally in the Human Rights International Instruments Chart of Ratifications as of June 30, 1996, a United Nations publication, makes interesting reading.

North Korea, Iran, Iraq and Libya have ratified the two covenants, meaning that their legislatures have passed the covenants into law. The four are United Nations members that the U.S. State Department cites as "rogue states".

On the other hand, the United States has ratified the economic covenant and the antitorture convention. But for the political covenant, the United States has only given its signature, while its ratification is still pending.

With the exception of China, the four other permanent members of the UN Security Council have ratified the three instruments. China has so far ratified the antitorture convention.

With regard to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), now numbering nine members, only the Philippines has ratified all three. Vietnam has ratified the two covenants, alone among the ASEAN members.

Laos ratified the antitorture convention, and Indonesia signed it on Oct. 23, 1985. Its ratification, however, is still on hold.

Member-in-waiting Cambodia has ratified all three instruments.

Of all 25 human rights instruments under UN auspices, Germany has ratified the most with 24, followed by the Netherlands and Norway with 21 and Sweden with 20.

The leader in Asia is the Philippines, which has signed 19 human right instruments. Among ASEAN, Cambodia has signed 11, Laos nine, Singapore and Vietnam eight each, Myanmar and Malaysia five each, Indonesia four, Thailand three and Brunei one.

The U.S. has ratified 10, Japan nine and China 18. The Vatican has ratified four, excluding the three major instruments cited above.

Warief Djajanto Basorie