The Human Rights Committee and the Right of Individual Communication: Law and Practice

Protection of Human Rights both at regional and at an international level is a major pre-occupation of International Law. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is probably the most important single universal human rights instrument which both sets standards and ensures compliance with them through measures of implementation. More than 125 States have accepted the obligations imposed by this Covenant. This text places the genesis of the Covenant in its historical context by looking at its precursors within the UN framework before embarking on an analysis of the provisions of the Optional Protocol which enshrines the right of individual communication. The Human Rights Committee is the body charged with overseeing the implementation of the Covenant. This work deals with the jurisprudence of the Committe under the O.P. and analyzes its effectiveness in protecting the rights of man at the international level.