CCPR General Comment 31: Legal Obligation of States Parties
From DADEL
UN CCPR General Comment No. 31 [80]: Nature of the General Legal Obligation Imposed on States Parties to the Covenant (adopted on 26 May, 2004)
The UN Human Rights Committee publishes its interpretation of the content of human rights provisions, in the form of General Comments on thematic issues.
Overview
The Comment discusses the responsibility of States Parties' to ensure protection and enforcement of rights and freedoms guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights for all people in their territory, regardless of citizenship. These rights and freedoms include protection from discrimination. The obligation to respect and ensure the rights that are guaranteed by the Covenant should take effect immediately. The Comment emphasizes that States Parties are not only required to refrain from violating the rights of individuals, but must also prevent the violation of individual rights by private persons. States Parties must adopt and implement various programmes and measures to fulfill their obligations. While adopting these remedies, special categories of persons, such as children, must be taken into account.