International human rights treaties are legally binding agreements that establish specific obligations for States that consent to be bound by them. They form a central part of the modern international human rights system.
PUBLIC LEGAL REFERENCE
International Human Rights Treaties
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Human rights treaties create legal standards designed to protect individuals and require States to respect, protect and fulfil recognised rights and freedoms.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protects rights including life, liberty, fair trial guarantees, freedom of expression, freedom of religion and participation in public affairs.
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights addresses rights including work, education, health, social security and an adequate standard of living.
Additional treaties provide protections for specific groups and issues, including the Convention Against Torture, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
A State becomes legally bound by a human rights treaty through accepted methods of consent, such as ratification or accession. Once bound, the State must comply with the obligations contained in the treaty.
Many human rights treaties establish committees or monitoring mechanisms that examine State reports, provide interpretations and assist with oversight of treaty implementation.
States may sometimes make reservations when joining treaties, although such reservations must comply with international law and cannot defeat the essential purpose of the agreement.
Students should understand how human rights treaties create obligations, how States become parties and how treaty monitoring systems operate.
Students should understand that human rights treaties create binding obligations for consenting States, establish protected rights and are supported by monitoring systems that promote compliance.