The Republic of Cape Verde is a member of the United Nations and the African Union. It has ratified many UN Human Rights Conventions (compare list on the right) and thus has made binding international commitments to adhere to the standards laid down in these universal human rights documents.
Cape Verde is a Portuguese-speaking island country in the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa opposite Mauritania and Senegal. With an area of 4,033 square km, it is a small country. On a global scale, its population density is high. The capital of the country, which became independent on 5 July 1975 from Portugal, is Praia. Cape Verde is a member of the regional economic community ECOWAS.
With a Human Development Index of 0.71 Cape Verde ranks 121st of 182 countries ranked in the UNDP Human Development Report of 2009. Life expectancy of the 500,000 inhabitants at birth is 71 years, population growth is 1.4 percent per year. GNI is 3,130 US-$ per capita. External debt is 43.2 percent of gross national income. Primary school enrolment is 84.5 percent.
In as far as Cape Verde has ratified the Optional Protocols for UN Human Rights Conventions or has accepted the Competence of the corresponding UN Treaty Bodies (compare list on the right), the inhabitants of Cape Verde and their representatives are able to invoke their human rights through these bodies.
All inhabitants of Cape Verde may turn to the UN Human Rights Committee through procedure 1503, to the Special Rapporteurs for violations of specific human rights or to ECOSOC for women's rights violations.
Since Cape Verde is a member state of UNESCO, its citizens may use the UNESCO procedure for human rights violations in UNESCO's fields of mandate.
Employers' or workers' and certain other organizations (not individuals) of Cape Verde may file complaints through the ILO procedure in the cases of those conventions which Cape Verde has ratified.
Since Cape Verde is an AU member, its citizens and NGOs may file complaints to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
They may also file complaints according to the EU guidelines (on Human Rights Defenders, Death Penalty and Torture) to Embassies of EU Member States and the Delegations of the European Commission.
In cases of human rights violations by multinational enterprises, they may also invoke the National Contact Point in an OECD member state.
Cape Verde has not yet joined the International Criminal Court.
Last change: 28.01.10 - 11:56