U.S. Compliance Reviews regarding the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The U.S. Government submitted its 4th Periodic Report to the Committee on Civil and Political Rights on December 30, 2011. The US Human Rights network established a task force to coordinate both a civil society response to the U.S. report as well as its advocacy before the Human Rights Committee, which will likely review the report sometime in 2012. To learn more on how to add your topic to the reports, please contact <jdakwar@aclu.org> or <paoletti@law.upenn.edu>.
About the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is an international treaty that is designed to protect individuals' human rights. When paired together with the Convention on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, human rights advocates call the two the "International Bill of Rights."
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
This treaty was ratified by the United States in 1992, making it legally binding.
US Reservations, Understandings, and Declarations upon Ratification
Upon adopting the ICCPR, the Senate added this document to limit and clarify its understanding of the treaty.
First Report to the Human Rights Committee
As part of its treaty obligations, the United States is required to issue a report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC) on its compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The US issued its first report in 1994 and was reviewed by the Human Rights Commitee in 1995.
Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee on the First US Report to the Committee (1995)
Second (and Third) Report to the Human Rights Committee
The U.S. reported to the Human Rights Committee (HRC) on its compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on October 21, 2005, and was reviewed by that Committee in July 2006. The second U.S. report, officially a joint second and third report, was not issued until October 2005 - more than seven years late due to State Department delays.
In July 2006, a delegation representing the State Department, Defense Department, Department of Justice and other government agencies attended thes HRC hearings in Geneva. At the end of the hearings, the UN released to the public its findings and made recommendations to the United States on policy changes.
In January 2007, NGOs met with officials from the State Department, Defense Department, the Department of Justice and other relevant government agencies to discuss the implementation of the Concluding Observations from the CAT and HRC.
Fourth Report to the Human Rights Committee
The U.S. Government submitted its 'fourth' report to the UN's Human Rights Committee on December 30, 2011. The US Human Rights network established a task force to coordinate both a civil society response to the U.S. report as well as its advocacy before the Human Rights Committee, which will likely review the report sometime in 2012.
Shadow Reporting
As part of the regular procedure, a country's non-governmental organizations submit "shadow reports" to the UN. The reports dispute a country's official report or provide information on unreported violations. In May 2006, a coalition of 142 US-based non-profits and organizations and 32 individuals submitted a shadow report that was the most comprehensive review of civil and political rights violations in the United States compiled at that time. After reviewing the U.S. official report and the shadow reports, the Human Rights Committee issued a list of issues for the U.S. delegation to address at the July hearing.
Links
Human Rights Committee Website
Human Rights Committee Member Background Information
Information on Future Sessions
