§ Baroness Whitakerasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many states have made a declaration under Article 14 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination so as to allow individual petition to the monitoring body set up by the treaty; and whether the United Kingdom will join them. [HL1858]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)Thirty states have made declarations under Article 14 of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination concerning the competence of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to receive and consider communications from individuals or groups.
The Government have no present plans to give new rights of petition under any UN human rights treaty. This reflects the outcome of a thorough review of our obligations under international human rights treaties in March 1999. We will review the position again when the Human Rights Act 1998 has been implemented and is properly bedded down.
The Human Rights Act 1998, which gives direct effect in the UK to the obligations set out in the European Convention on Human Rights, will enter into force in England and Wales on 2 October 2000.