Promoting Ratification of Human Rights Treaties in the Caribbean

The two-day workshop was jointly organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

Understanding the importance of full participation in the United Nations and inter-American human rights systems, as well as the procedures involved in ratifying and implementing international and regional human rights instruments, was the focus of a Caribbean workshop held from 25 to 26 April 2006 in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.

The two-day workshop, jointly organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), at the invitation of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, examined the process of ratification and implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights.

Participants also looked at ways to reconcile the international covenants with existing national legislation and reporting requirements. They were assisted by specialists from the Secretariat’s Human Rights Unit, IACHR, UN and regional legal experts. The timing of the workshop is significant as 2006 marks the 40th year since the two international covenants were promulgated and the 30th year since they came into force. But to date, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia have yet to ratify the two covenants.

The workshop, which was opened by Antigua and Barbuda’s Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Justin L Simon, was attended by more than 20 government officials from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname.

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 282, 26 April 2006

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