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Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention 2014, para. 1. (2)
- Paragraph text
- 2. Each Member shall develop a national policy and plan of action for the effective and sustained suppression of forced or compulsory labour in consultation with employers’ and workers’ organizations, which shall involve systematic action by the competent authorities and, as appropriate, in coordination with employers’ and workers’ organizations, as well as with other groups concerned.
- Legal status
- Legally binding
- Body
- International Labour Organization
- Document type
- International treaty
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Minimum Age Convention 1973, para. 2. (4)
- Paragraph text
- Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 3 of this Article, a Member whose economy and educational facilities are insufficiently developed may, after consultation with the organizations of employers and workers concerned, where such exist, initially specify a minimum age of 14 years.
- Legal status
- Legally binding
- Body
- International Labour Organization
- Document type
- International treaty
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 1973
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 12.2b
- Paragraph text
- [The objectives are:] To strengthen national capacity to seek new information and meet the need for basic data collection, analysis and dissemination, giving particular attention to information classified by age, sex, ethnicity and different geographical units, in order to use the findings in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of overall sustainable development strategies and foster international cooperation, including such cooperation at the regional and subregional levels;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 7.14f
- Paragraph text
- [The objectives are:] To promote breast-feeding to enhance birth spacing.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas 2018, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- 16. Also requests the High Commissioner to present a written report on the implementation of technical assistance, as stipulated in the present resolution, to the Human Rights Council at its forty-second session.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations Human Rights Council
- Document type
- Resolution
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2018
Paragraph
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) 2015, para. 1
- Paragraph text
- In view of the great variety of legal, social, economic and geographical conditions in the world, it is evident that not all of the rules are capable of application in all places and at all times. They should, however, serve to stimulate a constant endeavour to overcome practical difficulties in the way of their application, in the knowledge that they represent, as a whole, the minimum conditions which are accepted as suitable by the United Nations.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Resolution
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) 2015, para. 2
- Paragraph text
- On the other hand, the rules cover a field in which thought is constantly developing. They are not intended to preclude experiment and practices, provided these are in harmony with the principles and seek to further the purposes which derive from the text of the rules as a whole. It will always be justifiable for the central prison administration to authorize departures from the rules in this spirit.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Resolution
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Key actions for the further implementation of the Programme of Action of the of the International Conference on Population and Development 1999, para. 57d
- Paragraph text
- [57. The United Nations system and donors should, upon request, support Governments in:] (d) Adequately strengthening social safety nets using resources and funds and, in the context of primary health care, ensuring the availability of and access to reproductive health services, including family planning, particularly for people most affected by poverty, the adverse impact of structural adjustment policies and financial crises, or otherwise unable to access services.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Year
- 1999
Paragraph
Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS 2001, para. 1
- Paragraph text
- We, heads of State and Government and representatives of States and Governments, assembled at the United Nations, from 25 to 27 June 2001, for the twenty-sixth special session of the General Assembly, convened in accordance with resolution 55/13 of 3 November 2000, as a matter of urgency, to review and address the problem of HIV/AIDS in all its aspects, as well as to secure a global commitment to enhancing coordination and intensification of national, regional and international efforts to combat it in a comprehensive manner;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Year
- 2001
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 12.3
- Paragraph text
- Governments of all countries, particularly developing countries, assisted as appropriate through bilateral cooperation and international organizations and, where necessary, through interregional, regional and subregional cooperation, should strengthen their national capacity to carry out sustained and comprehensive programmes on collection, analysis, dissemination and utilization of population and development data. Particular attention should be given to the monitoring of population trends and the preparation of demographic projections and to the monitoring of progress towards the attainment of the health, education, gender, ethnic and social-equity goals, and of service accessibility and quality of care, as stated in the present Programme of Action.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) 2015, para. undefined
- Paragraph text
- The following rules are not intended to describe in detail a model system of penal institutions. They seek only, on the basis of the general consensus of contemporary thought and the essential elements of the most adequate systems of today, to set out what is generally accepted as being good principles and practice in the treatment of prisoners and prison management.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Resolution
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 12.18
- Paragraph text
- There should be enhanced research on natural methods for regulation of fertility, looking for more effective procedures to detect the moment of ovulation during the menstrual cycle and after childbirth.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
Third International Conference on Financing for Development: Addis Ababa Action Agenda 2015, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- We urge all countries that have not yet done so to ratify and accede to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and encourage parties to review its implementation. We commit to making the Convention an effective instrument to deter, detect, prevent and counter corruption and bribery, prosecute those involved in corrupt activities and recover and return stolen assets to their country of origin. We encourage the international community to develop good practices on asset return. We support the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative of the United Nations and the World Bank and other international initiatives that support the recovery of stolen assets. We further urge that regional conventions against corruption be updated and ratified. We will strive to eliminate safe havens that create incentives for transfer abroad of stolen assets and illicit financial flows. We will work to strengthen regulatory frameworks at all levels to further increase transparency and accountability of financial institutions and the corporate sector, as well as public administrations. We will strengthen international cooperation and national institutions to combat money-laundering and financing of terrorism.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Third International Conference on Financing for Development: Addis Ababa Action Agenda 2015, para. 121
- Paragraph text
- We will support research and development of vaccines and medicines, as well as preventive measures and treatments for the communicable and non communicable diseases, in particular those that disproportionately impact developing countries. We will support relevant initiatives, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which incentivizes innovation while expanding access in developing countries. To reach food security, we commit to further investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in earth observation, rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services and technology development by enhancing agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular in least developed countries, for example by developing plant and livestock gene banks. We will increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology adopted by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Third International Conference on Financing for Development: Addis Ababa Action Agenda 2015, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- We urge all countries that have not yet done so to ratify and accede to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and encourage parties to review its implementation. We commit to making the Convention an effective instrument to deter, detect, prevent and counter corruption and bribery, prosecute those involved in corrupt activities and recover and return stolen assets to their country of origin. We encourage the international community to develop good practices on asset return. We support the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative of the United Nations and the World Bank and other international initiatives that support the recovery of stolen assets. We further urge that regional conventions against corruption be updated and ratified. We will strive to eliminate safe havens that create incentives for transfer abroad of stolen assets and illicit financial flows. We will work to strengthen regulatory frameworks at all levels to further increase transparency and accountability of financial institutions and the corporate sector, as well as public administrations. We will strengthen international cooperation and national institutions to combat money-laundering and financing of terrorism.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Third International Conference on Financing for Development: Addis Ababa Action Agenda 2015, para. 121
- Paragraph text
- We will support research and development of vaccines and medicines, as well as preventive measures and treatments for the communicable and non communicable diseases, in particular those that disproportionately impact developing countries. We will support relevant initiatives, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which incentivizes innovation while expanding access in developing countries. To reach food security, we commit to further investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in earth observation, rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services and technology development by enhancing agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular in least developed countries, for example by developing plant and livestock gene banks. We will increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology adopted by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) 2015, para. 1
- Paragraph text
- Part I of the rules covers the general management of prisons, and is applicable to all categories of prisoners, criminal or civil, untried or convicted, including prisoners subject to "security measures" or corrective measures ordered by the judge.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Resolution
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The meaning and scope of special measures in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms Racial Discrimination 2009, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Although the Convention designates "racial or ethnic groups or individuals requiring … protection" (article 1, paragraph 4), and "racial groups or individuals belonging to them" (article 2, paragraph 2), as the beneficiaries of special measures, the measures shall in principle be available to any group or person covered by article 1 of the Convention, as clearly indicated by the travaux préparatoires of the Convention, as well as by the practice of States parties and the relevant concluding observations of the Committee.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2009
Paragraph
Article 10: Humane treatment of persons deprived of their liberty - replaces general comment 9 (Annex VI, B) 1993, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Moreover, the Committee notes that in the reports of some States parties no information has been provided concerning the treatment accorded to accused juvenile persons and juvenile offenders. Article 10, paragraph 2 (b), provides that accused juvenile persons shall be separated from adults. The information given in reports shows that some States parties are not paying the necessary attention to the fact that this is a mandatory provision of the Covenant. The text also provides that cases involving juveniles must be considered as speedily as possible. Reports should specify the measures taken by States parties to give effect to that provision. Lastly, under article 10, paragraph 3, juvenile offenders shall be segregated from adults and be accorded treatment appropriate to their age and legal status insofar as conditions of detention are concerned, such as shorter working hours and contact with relatives, with the aim of furthering their reformation and rehabilitation. Article 10 does not indicate any limits of juvenile age. While this is to be determined by each State party in the light of relevant social, cultural and other conditions, the Committee is of the opinion that article 6, paragraph 5, suggests that all persons under the age of 18 should be treated as juveniles, at least in matters relating to criminal justice. States should give relevant information about the age groups of persons treated as juveniles. In that regard, States parties are invited to indicate whether they are applying the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice, known as the Beijing Rules (1987).
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Human Rights Committee
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 1993
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- It is likely that similar laws, including those inherited from the colonial era, when examined in the light of the principles of human rights, including the rule of law and the right to a fair trial, would lead to outcomes similar to the ones prescribed by the Commission. They include repealing outdated legislation on witchcraft, while emphasizing the necessity of sanctioning persons who accuse others of witchcraft; making it generally known that harmful practices related to witchcraft would be prosecuted; and ensuring that mere belief in witchcraft is not criminalized. However, as witchcraft in general has yet to feature prominently on the radar of human rights mechanisms, the initiation of a system-wide approach, beginning with a scaled-up version of the exercise conducted in Papua New Guinea, including an exercise in definition, is timely.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Equality of opportunity in education 2011, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- The need to “identify steps to strengthen and harmonize, where necessary, the legislative framework within which the right to education is guaranteed” was recognized at various stages of the EFA process. As a consequence, a large number of countries have also developed or modernized their national legislation. Such laws establish the right to basic education, and include provisions on non-discrimination and equality of opportunity in education. This further demonstrates the importance accorded to the equality of opportunity in education in national legal systems. Moreover, in some countries, the regulatory frameworks for private educational institutions have also been developed as part of national legal frameworks protecting equal opportunities in education.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The transformative potential of the right to food 2014, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Secondly, just as multiple food systems must be combined to improve resilience through enhanced diversity, different forms of farming can coexist, each fulfilling a different function. The example of Brazil suggests that family farms can be supported even in the vicinity of highly competitive, large-scale agricultural producers and that such coexistence can be viable, provided the government is aware of the different functions that different agricultural models serve to fulfil, and adopts a balanced approach towards them (A/HRC/13/33/Add.6, paras. 43 and 44). In many countries, however, this coexistence has failed, and the balance has shifted almost entirely in favour of the large-scale export-led agricultural sector. The lesson that emerges is that the transition to agrifood policies that support the realization of the right to food requires major political efforts to restructure support around agroecological, labour-intensive, poverty-reducing forms of agriculture.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Right to food and nutrition 2016, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Global sales of breast milk substitutes total $44.8 billion and are expected to rise to $70.6 billion by 2019. The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes places restrictions on the sale of such substitutes, through prohibiting public advertising, provision of free samples or promotion in health-care facilities. It also requires all information on artificial feeding to explain the benefits of breastfeeding and the hazards associated with artificial feeding. Although some progress has been achieved, violations of the Code are widespread and only 39 countries have laws enacting all provisions.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Eradicating contemporary forms of slavery from supply chains 2015, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The Brazilian Ministry of Labour maintains a record of people and corporations found to be using slave labour, which has been termed the "dirty list", established by ministerial decree of 2003. The database was used by public and private companies that applied commercial and financial sanctions. The list grew to include 52 employers of slave labourers in 2003 to 609 as of July 2014. However, in December 2014, the Supreme Court granted an injunction to an association of construction companies, suspending the "dirty list". To date, attorneys from the Federal Government have not been able to re-establish the database. Another challenge to the list was launched following the Labour Prosecutor's Office finding that Zara Brazil (part of global brand Inditex) had directive power over the supply chain and litigation has ensued which includes a challenge to the constitutionality of the "dirty list". Also in Brazil, the Sao Paulo State Law to Combat Slave Labour, also known as the Bezerra Law, seeks to regulate the disclosure of slave labour.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The right to freedom of opinion and expression exercised through the Internet 2011, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- In some economically developed States, Internet access has been recognized as a right. For example, the parliament of Estonia passed legislation in 2000 declaring Internet access a basic human right. The constitutional council of France effectively declared Internet access a fundamental right in 2009, and the constitutional court of Costa Rica reached a similar decision in 2010. Going a step further, Finland passed a decree in 2009 stating that every Internet connection needs to have a speed of at least one Megabit per second (broadband level). The Special Rapporteur also takes note that according to a survey by the British Broadcasting Corporation in March 2010, 79% of those interviewed in 26 countries believe that Internet access is a fundamental human right.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The right to freedom of opinion and expression exercised through the Internet 2011, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is also concerned by the emerging trend of timed (or "just-in-time") blocking to prevent users from accessing or disseminating information at key political moments, such as elections, times of social unrest, or anniversaries of politically or historically significant events. During such times, websites of opposition parties, independent media, and social networking platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are blocked, as witnessed in the context of recent protests across the Middle East and North African region. In Egypt, users were disconnected entirely from Internet access.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Most of the offline media have developed an online alternative, and given that the Internet has become an essential and economic medium for disseminating news to a global audience, leading to an emergence of "online journalists" - both professionals and so-called "citizen journalists" who are untrained, but who play an increasingly important role by documenting and disseminating news as they unfold on the ground. Such an expansion of individuals involved in spreading information has enriched the media landscape by increasing access to sources of information, stimulating informed analysis and promoting the expression of diverse opinions, particularly in moments of crises.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The protection of sources and whistle-blowers 2015, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- Confidential sources rely on others to invoke the right to confidentiality on their behalf. Historically, States have enabled a professional class of journalists to invoke the right, but the revolution in the media and in information over the past 20 years demands reconsideration of such limitations. Article 19, which protects freedom of expression through any media, requires that States take into account a contemporary environment that has expanded well beyond traditional print and broadcast media. The protection available to sources should be based on the function of collection and dissemination and not merely the specific profession of "journalist". The practice of journalism is carried out by "professional full-time reporters and analysts, as well as bloggers and others who engage in forms of self-publication in print, on the Internet or elsewhere" (Human Rights Committee, general comment No. 34, para. 44).
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Best practices that promote and protect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 2012, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur further concurs with the assessment of the ODIHR Panel of Experts that "the free flow of traffic should not automatically take precedence over freedom of peaceful assembly". In this regard, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has indicated that "the competent institutions of the State have a duty to design operating plans and procedures that will facilitate the exercise of the right of assembly ... [including] rerouting pedestrian and vehicular traffic in a certain area". Furthermore, the Special Rapporteur points to a decision of the Spanish Constitutional Court which stated that "in a democratic society, the urban space is not only an area for circulation, but also for participation".
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Best practices that promote and protect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 2012, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- The right to freedom of association obliges States to take positive measures to establish and maintain an enabling environment. It is crucial that individuals exercising this right are able to operate freely without fear that they may be subjected to any threats, acts of intimidation or violence, including summary or arbitrary executions, enforced or involuntary disappearances, arbitrary arrest or detention, torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, a media smear campaign, travel ban or arbitrary dismissal, notably for unionists. One or several of such violations is/are found in, e.g., Belarus, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Israel, the Philippines, , Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic and Zimbabwe.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph