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Ratification of International Human Rights Instruments

The Commonwealth Secretariat congratulates the Republic of Maldives for its accession to the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) on 19 September 2006 on the 40th Anniversary of the adoption of both Covenants.

Ratification Handbook CoverAs the cornerstone of the International Bill of Rights, the ICCPR and ICESCR are widely accepted by the international community and have stood the test of time. Most of the Commonwealth member countries have ratified both Covenants apart from the following: 

ICCPR -  Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji Islands, Kiribati, Malaysia, Nauru (signed not ratified), Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

ICESCR - Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize (signed not ratified), Botswana,  Brunei Darussalam, Fiji Islands, Kiribati, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nauru, Pakistan (signed not ratified), Papua New Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Samoa, Singapore, South Africa (signed not ratified), Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The Commonwealth Secretariat Human Rights Unit encourages Commonwealth member countries to embark on the process of ratifying the Covenants and stands ready to offer Commonwealth member countries with advice, assistance and support in reviewing their signing or ratification status; in the process of ratification and eventual implementation of the Covenants and the other significant human rights conventions; and in fulfilling reporting and other requirements which may arise from ratification.

The Human Rights Unit has recently published the Handbook on Ratification of Human Rights Instruments to simplify and explain the process and consequences of ratification for member countries which have yet to ratify one or both of the two Covenants, or any of the other significant human rights instruments discussed in the Handbook.

To download a soft copy of the Handbook, click here.

For more information on the Caribbean Workshop on Ratification of International Human Rights Instruments, click here.

To contact the Human Rights Unit, click here. 

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