International Covenant on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination

HL Deb 31 January 2002 vol 631 c52WA

Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they intend to ratify the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination. [HL2504]

Lord Rooker

There are no optional protocols under the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). The Government plan to review the United Kingdom's international human rights instruments once the Human Rights Act has bedded down. This review will include the question whether the United Kingdom should make a declaration under Article 14 of ICERD recognising the competence of the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to receive individual petitions.