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U.N.
Instructions and Model Complaint Form
for Reporting Human Rights Abuses
to the United Nations
EHDR-UK has run a campaign
to inform the public and civil societies that human rights complaints
could be filed under UN’s international human rights treaties. The full
texts of the treaties are accessible on the web site of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR).
The basic concept of the
treaty is as follows:
“Anyone may bring a
complaint alleging a violation of treaty rights to the body of experts
set up by the treaty for quasi-judicial adjudication. These “treaty
bodies”, as they are often called, are committees composed of independent
experts elected by States parties to the relevant treaty. They are tasked
with monitoring implementation in States parties of the rights set forth
in the treaties and with deciding on complaints brought against those
States.
A human rights complaint can
be brought against a State that is a party to the treaty in question,
having ratified or otherwise accepted it. The treaty concerns Eritrea. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
covers a broad range of civil and political rights ranging from the
right to life to the right to a fair trial and the right to
non-discrimination.
Who can bring a
complaint?
Anyone can lodge a complaint
with a committee against a State claiming that his or her rights under
the relevant treaty have been violated. One may also bring a claim on
behalf of another person on condition that he/she obtains his or her
written consent. One can also bring a case without such consent where a
person is in prison without access to the outside world.
What information do
you need to provide in your complaint?
The complaint need not take
any particular form. It would be best if one would follow the Model Complaint Form.
One can make a complaint
under the human rights treaties at anytime. Petitions should be sent to the following address:
Petitions Team
Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations Office at
Geneva
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Fax: + 41 22 917 9022
(particularly for urgent matters)
E-mail: tb-petitions@ohchr.org
For more information please
click HERE.
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