The UN human rights agreements

Cuba announced last week that it will sign two UN agreements by May of next year – the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Fidel Castro differed from the government’s “political decision” to sign these pacts because of provisions on labor unions and education. Here are a few excerpts from them:

• “Anyone who is arrested shall be informed, at the time of arrest, of the reasons for his arrest and shall be promptly informed of any charges against him.”

• “Anyone arrested or detained on a criminal charge shall be brought promptly before a judge or other officer authorized by law to exercise judicial power and shall be entitled to trial within a reasonable time or to release.”

• “Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence…Everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his own…No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter his own country.”

• “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.”

• “The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized.”

• “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests.”

• “The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to submit reports on the measures they have adopted which give effect to the [civil and political] rights recognized herein and on the progress made in the enjoyment of those rights…”

• “The States Parties to the present [economic, social, and cultural] Covenant recognize the right to work, which includes the right of everyone to the opportunity to gain his living by work which he freely chooses or accepts, and will take appropriate steps to safeguard this right.”

• “The States to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of just and favourable conditions of work which ensure, in particular:

Remuneration which provides all workers, as a minimum, with:

Fair wages and equal remuneration for work of equal value without distinction of any kind…”

• “The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians to choose for their children schools, other than those established by the public authorities, which conform to such minimum educational standards as may be laid down or approved by the State and to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.”

• “The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to submit in conformity with this part of the Covenant reports on the measures which they have adopted and the progress made in achieving the observance of the rights recognized herein.”