Reminder: ICCPR Submissions due January 14, 2019

Jan 7, 2019

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Respectful greetings:

In March 2019, the U.N. Human Rights Committee, the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), will kick off the periodic review process for U.S. compliance with the ICCPR.

The ICCPR is a key international human rights treaty, providing a range of protections for civil and political rights. The ICCPR obligates countries that have ratified the treaty to protect and preserve basic human rights, such as: the right to life and human dignity; equality before the law; freedom of speech, assembly, and association; religious freedom and privacy; freedom from torture, ill-treatment, and arbitrary detention; gender equality; the right to a fair trial, and; minority rights.

The Covenant compels governments to take administrative, judicial, and legislative measures in order to protect the rights enshrined in the treaty and to provide an effective remedy. 

The U.S. ratified the ICCPR in 1992. Upon ratification, the ICCPR became the “supreme law of the land” under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which gives acceded treaties the status of federal law. The U.S. must comply with and implement the provisions of the treaty just as it would any other domestic law, subject to Reservations, Understandings and Declarations (RUDs) entered when it ratified the treaty. 

The U.S. has agreed to receive from the U.N. Human Rights Committee a List of Issues Prior to Reporting which will form the basis for the U.S. Government’s periodic report to the Committee. U.S. Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples and their representatives can submit information on relevant ICCPR issues, draft suggested questions and recommendations that will be considered by the Committee for inclusion within the List of Issues Prior to Reporting. The deadline for submissions is January 14, 2019.

The U.S. Human Rights Network’s ICCPR Task Force has developed and compiled resources to assist those who would like to submit information on relevant ICCPR issues, draft suggested questions or recommendations that could be considered by the Committee for inclusion within the List of Issues Prior to Reporting.

At the website of the U.S. Human Rights Network (USHRN), located at https://bit.ly/2C3aUhB, you will find:

1.) Introductory Webinar: An introductory webinar detailing the process and a template for the submission of questions or recommendations that could be considered by the Committee.

2.) A Submission Template: Please note the template for the submission of questions or recommendations that could be considered by the Committee is linked here: https://bit.ly/2s7LDyg.

3.) Document to Coordinate Thematic Subject Areas: Also available is a Listing of Relevant ICCPR Issue Areas, which provides a space for organizations that wish to take the lead on thematic subject areas to input their information. Interested organizations should include organization name, contact name, and email address, so others interested in this issue area can connect and contribute to a joint submission. The ICCPR Issue Area Listing and Contact Sheet is here: https://bit.ly/2EGVpiU.

The ICCPR Taskforce is encouraging joint, brief submissions (2-3 pages); however, submissions should be limited to a maximum of 10,000 words (approx. 15 pages) and provided in electronic form ONLY. Please DO NOT SEND HARDCOPIES. 

The submissions should be sent directly to Secretariate of the Human Rights Committee at ccpr@ohchr.org. 

PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT THE SECRETARIATE CANNOT ACCEPT REPORTS THAT ARRIVE OUTSIDE THE DEADLINE OF JANUARY 14, 2019.

If you have additional questions, please contact the USHRN ICCPR Task Force at iccpr.taskforcegroup@ushrnetwork.org.

Thank you,

USHRN ICCPR Task Force