Human Rights Education A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions 1989: Convention on the Rights of the Child14 The Convention places a legal obligation on States to ensure that the provisions set out in the 1959 Declaration on the Rights of the Child are met, such as the right to food, clean water, health care, free education, survival and development, and the right to children’s own culture, religion and language. It emphasizes that children may not be used for cheap labour or as soldiers. 1990: Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families15 The Convention seeks to guarantee equality of treatment and the same working conditions for migrants as those enjoyed by nationals. It is based on the fundamental notion that all migrants should have access to a minimum degree of protection. 2007: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities16 The Convention represents an important shift from viewing persons with disabilities as “objects” of charity, medical treatment and social protection to “subjects” who are active members of society with rights. It emphasizes that they are capable of claiming those rights and making decisions for their lives. 2007: Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples17 The Declaration acknowledges that indigenous peoples have suffered from historic injustices as a result of colonization and dispossession of their land and resources. It emphasizes the rights of indigenous peoples to maintain and strengthen their own institutions, cultures and traditions and to pursue development in keeping with their needs and aspirations. 1.3.1. The international human rights framework in practice A treaty is an agreement by a country to be bound by particular rules. International treaties have different names such as covenants, charters, protocols, conventions, accords and agreements. A treaty is legally binding on those States that have consented to be bound by the provisions of the treaty – in other words, they have agreed to become a “party to the treaty”.18 Even if a State is not party to a treaty, that State may still be bound by those treaty provisions that have become part of customary international law or constitute rules of international law, such as the prohibition against torture. Once a State has agreed to be party to a treaty, it is obliged to implement the provisions of that treaty. The international community has a role to ensure that this happens by seeking country reports and contributing to the Universal Periodic Review process.19 International Human Rights and the International Human Rights System: A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions20 provides a useful guide to understanding the international human rights framework. 6 14 Available online at www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CRC.aspx. 15 Available online at www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CMW.aspx. 16 Available online at www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRPD/Pages/ConventionRightsPersonsWithDisabilities.aspx. 17 Available online at www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/Pages/Declaration.aspx. 18 “Human Rights for All”, United Nations. Available online at www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/humanrights/index.shtml. 19 More information on the Universal Periodic Review is available online at www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/upr/pages/uprmain.aspx. 20 The Manual was published by the APF in 2012. It is available online at www.asiapacificforum.net/media/resource_file/International_ HR_System_Manual_Web.pdf.