Human Rights in International Treaties

A list of international human rights treaties, including a list of those rights listed in some of the key treaties. For a more detailed list of UN Human Rights Treaties as well as a valuable resource on Canada’s international human rights obligations, visit Canada’s Human Rights Commitments.

Equality regardless of race, color, descent, or national or ethnic origin
Right to equal treatment before tribunals
Right to security of person
Right to effective protection and remedies
Political rights
Civil rights
- Right to freedom of movement and residence
- Right to leave any country and return to one’s own
- Right to nationality
- Right to marriage and choice of spouse
- Right to own property
- Right to inherit
- Right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
- Right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
Economic, social, and cultural rights
- Right to form and join trade unions
- Right to housing
- Right to public health, medical care, social security, and social services
- Right to education and training
- Right to equal participation in cultural activities
- Right of access to any public place or service
Freedom from racial segregation
Prohibition of racist propaganda and organizations

Right of self-determination
Freedom to dispose of own wealth and resources
No deprivation of own means of subsistence
Inherent right to life
Restrictions and rights for anyone sentenced to death
Freedom of expression
General gender equality clause
Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
Prohibition of arbitrary arrest and detention
Right to assembly
Right to privacy of the home
Right to association
Right to privacy of communication
Freedom of movement
Equal enjoyment of civil and political rights regardless of gender
Right of access to court and tribunals (habeas corpus)
Prohibition of torture
Right to vote
Prohibition of ex post facto laws
Freedom to choose residence
Freedom to leave any country
Rights of lawful alien in face of expulsion
Right not to be expelled from home territory
Equality regardless of race
Right to present a defense
Right to form trade unions
Right to counsel
Right to public trial
Right to review by a higher tribunal
Presumption of innocence until proven guilty
Rights regarding trial preparation
Freedom from forced testimony or confession of guilt
Right to establish a family
Prohibition of slavery
Freedom from forced labor
Right to liberty and security of person
Rights of arrested person
Rights for children
Right to a remedy when rights are violated
Right to personal privacy
Prohibition of double jeopardy
Equality regardless of belief/philosophy
Right to remain silent
Right to a timely trial
Equality regardless of political opinion
Right to an interpreter
Equality regardless of language
Right to ‘fair trial’
Right to work for the government
Right to privacy of family life
Minority cultural rights
Right to protection of one’s reputation or honor
Equality husband and wife within the family
Right to appeal to higher court
Equality regardless of economic status
Equality regardless of nationality
Rights for prisoners

• Right of self-determination
• General gender equality clause
• Right to education
• Right to a fair wage
• Right to work
• Right to highest mental and physical health
• Equality in employment promotion
• Right to form and join trade unions
• Right to establish a family
• Right to social security
• Right to protection and assistance to the family
• Right to culture
• Artistic freedom
• Right to rest and leisure
• Right to housing
• Right to favorable working conditions
• Right to protection of intellectual property
• Right to strike
• Right to adequate standard of living
• Women’s empowerment in labor relations
• Right to maternity leave
• Prohibition of child labor
• Right to food
• Right to take part in cultural life
• Right to enjoy scientific progress

Legislative equality regardless of gender
Equality for women in political and public life
Prohibition of trafficking and prostitution of women
Equality of the husband and wife in marriage and family relations
- Same right to enter into marriage
- Same right to freedom in choosing a spouse and entering into marriage
- Same rights and responsibilities
- Same rights with regards to their children
- Same personal rights as husband and wife
- Same rights with regards to property
Right to acquire, change, or retain nationality
Equality for women in the field of education
Equality for women in the field of employment
- Right to safe working conditions
- Right to social security
- Women’s empowerment in labor relations
- Right to maternity leave
- Right to social services such as child-care facilities
- Special protection during pregnancy
Equality for women in the field of health care
Equality for women in rural areas
- Right to participate in development planning
- Right to health care
- Right to benefit from social security programs
- Right to training and education
- Right to self-help groups and co-operatives
- Right to participate in community activities
- Right to adequate living conditions

Prohibition of torture
Protection from extradition to another State where danger of torture
exists
Rights while in custody for alleged offense
- Right to communicate with appropriate representative
- Right to have national State immediately notified of the custody
- Fair treatment in proceedings
Prompt and impartial investigation of an alleged act of torture
Rights for complainants and victims of torture
- Right to complain about act of torture
- Right to protection
- Right to fair and adequate compensation
Prohibition regarding statements made as a result of torture
Prohibition of other acts of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment

Inherent right to life:

Right to a name and nationality
Right to know and be cared for by parents
Right to preservation of identity
No separation from parents against child’s will
Protection from illicit transfer abroad and non-return
Freedom of expression
Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
Freedom of association and of peaceful assembly
Right to privacy
Freedom from attacks on honor and reputation
Access to mass media information and materials
Right to physical and mental protection
Right to humanitarian assistance
Right to good health
Right to social security
Right to an adequate standard of living
Right to education
Right to rest and leisure
Protection from harmful employment
Protection from illicit use of drugs
Protection from use of children in drug trafficking
Protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse
Protection from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment
Protection from abduction, sale, and trafficking
Protection from all other forms of exploitation
Protection from capital punishment and life imprisonment
Protection of children in armed conflicts

Prohibition of child labor:

Best interests of the child as the primary consideration
Rights and duties of parents are respected
Rights for disabled children
Rights for minority children to enjoy own culture
Rights of children deprived of liberty
Rights of children accused of infringing penal law

No execution
Prohibition of death penalty

Equality for all migrant workers and their families

Free to leave any State
Right to enter and remain in their State of origin
Right to life
Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment/punishment
Freedom from slavery
Freedom from forced labor
Right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
Right to opinions
Right to freedom of expression
Right to privacy
Freedom from unlawful attacks on honor and reputation
Freedom from arbitrary deprivation of property
Right to liberty and security of person
Right to protection
Freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention
Equal rights as nationals
Freedom from confiscation or destroying of legal documents
Freedom from collective expulsion
Right to protection and assistance by their State of origin
Right to recognition as a person
Rights regarding employment
- Equal treatment and benefits as nationals
- Rights to form or join trade unions
- Rights to social security
- Right freely to choose remunerated activity
Rights to medical care
Rights of child
- Right to a name, registration of birth, and a nationality
- Right to education
- Right to learn mother tongue and culture
Right to a cultural identity
Rights upon termination of stay
Right to be informed
Right to liberty of movement
Freedom to choose residence
Right to participate in public affairs of State of origin
Right to political rights in State of employment, if granted
Equal treatment with nationals of State of employment
Protection of unity of family
Equality in accessing education
Equality in accessing social and health services
Equality in participating in cultural life
Rights regarding taxes
Rights for family of deceased migrant worked or dissolution of marriage

Rights for arrested migrant workers and their families

Right to be informed about arrest in own language
Right to trial or release
Own State shall be notified of the detention
Right to communicate and meet with authorities in the own State
Right to a court trial
Victims of unlawful arrest or detention have the right to compensation
Right to be treated with humanity
Equal rights as nationals

Rights for accused migrant workers and their families

Right to be separated from convicted persons
Rights for juvenile persons to be separated from adults
Right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty
Rights in the determination of criminal charges
Right to be reviewed by a higher tribunal

Freedom from imprisonment for failing to fulfill a contractual obligation

Rights for expelled migrant workers and their families
Rights for frontier workers
Rights for seasonal workers
Rights for itinerant workers
Rights for project-tied workers
Rights for specified-employment workers
Rights for self-employment workers

Rights regarding international migration

Rights to sound, equitable, humane, and lawful conditions
Rights to services to deal with questions

Prohibition of armed forces members aged
Prohibition of children aged
Special protection for persons aged <18
Armed groups prohibited from recruiting or using in hostilities persons aged <18
Rights of the child in more protective laws are unaffected
Assistance to victims of acts contrary to this Protocol

Prohibition of the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography

Rights of child victims:

Right to recognition of vulnerability
Right to adapted procedures to address special needs
Right to be informed of the proceedings and the disposition
Right to have views, needs, and concerns presented and considered
Right to support services
Right to privacy and identity
Right to safety
Right to avoid unnecessary delay in the proceedings
Assistance in recovery
Access to procedures to seek compensation for damages

Best interests of the child is the primary consideration

Rights of the child in more protective laws are unaffected

Rights for the disabled

Equal protection and benefit of the law
Recognition of women and girls with disabilities
Recognition of children with disabilities
Access to public services facilities
Right to life
Right to protection in situations of risk
Access to justice
Right to liberty and security
Freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment punishment
Freedom from exploitation, violence, and abuse
Right to respect for physical and mental integrity
Right to liberty of movement and nationality
Right to live independently
Right to be included in the community
Right to personal mobility
Freedom of expression and opinion
Access to information
Right to privacy
Respect for home and the family
Right to education
Right to good health
Access to habilitation and rehabilitation services and programs
Right to work
Right to an adequate standard of living
Right to social protection
Freedom to participate in political and public life
Freedom to participate in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport

Protection from enforced disappearance
Rights for individual who alleges enforced disappearance
- Right to report facts to authorities
- Right to protection
Protection from extradition to another State where danger of enforced disappearance exists
No secret detention
Right to information on deprivation of liberty
Right to privacy of personal information

Rights for victims of enforced disappearance

Right to the truth
Right to reparation and compensation
Right to form and participate in organizations that address enforced disappearance

[credit: Eric A. Posner, The Twilight of Human Rights Law]

Human Rights in International Treaties

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