PEOPLE AND CULTURE

NEWS

First ever UK human rights tracker launched

15 Oct 2019

    • A tool to make the UK’s human rights records transparent, and the Government accountable, launched on 9 October.

    HumanRightsTracker.com allows civil society organisations, academics, parliamentarians and legal professionals to learn about the UK’s human rights duties under UN treaties and identify where the Government is falling short.

    The UK Government has signed up to seven UN human rights treaties, which set the standard for human rights across the globe. However, in many cases, it’s failing to meet the obligations to fulfil them.

    HumanRightsTracker.com provides an essential tool for any organisation looking to use these international standards in order to influence and improve human rights in the UK.

    It enables users to:

    • find out what the UN has said about a particular human rights issue (such as access to justice and inclusive education) or population group (such as disabled people or children) in the UK;
    • access information on the international human rights framework to use in research, legal, policy and advocacy work;
    • find out how to engage with international human rights mechanisms; and
    • understand how the UK’s international human rights obligations link to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

    David Isaac, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said:

    “As Britain leaves the EU and we face a period of greater legal change, it’s more important than ever that the country is aware of our international commitments on human rights and what is required to fulfil them.

    “To improve people’s lives and make Britain a fairer place for us all, we are calling on everyone in the human rights sector to use our human rights tracker to identify what needs to be done to honour these treaties.

    “Starting with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which is to be reviewed next year, we will use the tracker to work with others to ensure that the Government meets our international obligations.”

    The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is one of the seven human rights treaties the UK has agreed to follow. It enables people to enjoy a wide range of human rights, including:

    • freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
    • fair trial rights;
    • freedom of thought, religion and expression;
    • privacy, home and family life; and
    • equality and non-discrimination.

    Reports on how well the UK is implementing this treaty are being accepted by the UN until mid-January 2020, which will then influence the UK Government’s review.