§ Sir Richard BodyTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list those countries held by the Government to be in breach of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. [90920]
§ The Prime MinisterWhile the Universal Declaration was not itself a legally binding treaty, it set the framework for human rights obligations in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESR). The ICCPR has been ratified by 143 states and the ICESR by 141 states. The UK ratified both these Treaties within 7 months of their coming into force in 1976. UN independent expert committees monitor the performance of individual states under these Treaties. The committees report their findings publicly, including failures of implementation. But neither they nor we attempt comparative assessments on what are wide ranging obligations.