International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights facts for kids
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (often called the ICCPR) is an important treaty made by the United Nations. A treaty is like a big agreement between many countries. This treaty helps protect your civil rights, which are the basic freedoms and protections you have as a person.
The rights in this treaty are also mentioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The ICCPR is one of the most important agreements in international human rights law. It was created in 1966, along with another treaty called the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. It officially started being used in 1976. The United Nations set up a group called the Committee on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) to make sure countries follow the treaty.
What Rights Does the ICCPR Protect?
The ICCPR lists many important rights that countries should protect for their citizens. Here are some of the main ones:
- Article 1: Everyone has the right to decide their own future and how their country is governed. This is called self-determination.
- Article 6: You have the right to life. This article also talks about preventing genocide, which is trying to destroy a whole group of people.
- Article 7: You should never be tortured or treated in a cruel or inhuman way.
- Article 8: You have the right to be free from slavery and forced labor.
- Article 9: You have the right to feel safe. You should not be arrested or held in prison without a good reason. If you are found innocent, you have the right to be set free and get help.
- Article 10: If you are in detention, you have the right to be treated with humanity and dignity.
- Article 12: You have the freedom to move around, leave your country, and return to it.
- Article 14: You have the right to a fair trial. You are also considered innocent until someone proves you are guilty.
- Article 16: Everyone has the right to be recognized as a person under the law.
- Article 17: You have the right to privacy. Your reputation and honour should be protected.
- Article 18: You have freedom of thought, conscience, and freedom of religion.
- Article 19: You have freedom of expression and freedom of speech. This means you can share your ideas, but you also have a duty not to harm others.
- Article 20: This article says that spreading propaganda for war is not allowed. It also bans encouraging hatred or discrimination against people.
- Article 21: You have the freedom to gather peacefully with others.
- Article 22: You have the right to form groups or associations, including trade unions.
- Article 25: You have the right to take part in free and fair voting to choose your leaders.
- Article 26: Everyone is equal before the law. The law should protect everyone from all kinds of discrimination.
- Article 27: Minority groups and ethnic groups have the right to enjoy their own culture and use their own language.
Extra Rules (Optional Protocols)
The ICCPR has two extra parts called "optional protocols." These are like additional agreements that countries can choose to sign if they want to.
- One protocol allows a person whose rights have been violated to complain directly to the Committee on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR).
- The other protocol is about stopping the death penalty. Some countries do not agree with or follow these optional protocols.
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