It’s not a "unilateral action" to join human rights conventions; US should commend Palestine

The following are 9 of the 15 conventions on human rights Palestine has decided to accede to:
  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966
  • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1966
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women 1979
  • Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989
  • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2006
  • International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1965
  • United Nations Convention Against Torture, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1984
  • Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide 1948
  • Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid 1973



It is worthwhile mentioning that the US itself has not yet acceded to the following conventions:
  • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1966 (signed, but not ratified)
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women 1979 (signed, but not ratified)
  • Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 (signed, but not ratified)
  • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2006 (signed, but not ratified)
  • Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid 1973

Instead of claiming that the Palestinian decision is a “unilateral action”, the US should commend Palestine, and should also follow suit.



Comments