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Claiming Human Rights - in Guinea

The Republic of Guinea 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.

Guinea is a French-speaking country in West Africa. The middle-sized country with an area of 245,857 square km has a border on the Atlantic Ocean in the west. On a global scale, its population density is low. The capital of the country, which became independent on 2 October 1958 from France, is Conakry. Guinea is a member of the regional economic communities ECOWAS and CEN-SAD.

With a Human Development Index of 0.44 Guinea ranks 170th of 182 countries ranked in the UNDP Human Development Report of 2009. Life expectancy of the 9.8 million inhabitants at birth is 58 years, population growth is 2.2 percent per year. GNI is 390 US-$ per capita. External debt is 72.7 percent of gross national income. Primary school enrolment is 73.6 percent.

In as far as Guinea 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 Guinea and their representatives are able to invoke their human rights through these bodies.

All inhabitants of Guinea 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 Guinea 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 Guinea may file complaints through the ILO procedure in the cases of those conventions which Guinea has ratified.

Since Guinea 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.

Guinea has joined the International Criminal Court, it may thus be called upon in case of severe crimes.

Signature: 1967 Ratification: 1978 Reservations: yes/oui Signature optional protocol: 1975 Ratification optional protocol: 1993 Reservations: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations: 1993  
Signature: 1967 Ratification: 1978 Reservations: yes/oui Last State report:   Last concluding observations: 1996  
Signature: 1966 Ratification: 1977 Reservations: no/non Competence CERD acknowledged: no/non Last State report: 1998 Last concluding observations: 2001  
Signature: 1980 Ratification: 1982 Reservations: no/non Signature optional protocol: no/non Ratification optional protocol:   Reservations:   Last State report: 2005 Last concluding observations: 2009  
Signature: 1986 Ratification: 1989 Reservations: no/non Article 22 competence acknowledged: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature:   Ratification: 1990 (accession) Reservations: no/non Last State report: 1997 Last concluding observations: 1999  
Signature:   Ratification: 2000 (accession) Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature:   Ratification:   Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature: 2007 Ratification: 2008 Reservations: no/non Signature optional protocol: 2007 Ratification optional protocol: 2008 Reservations: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Ratification Banjul Charter: 1982 Ratification Protocol African Court:   Ratification Children's Charter: 1999 Ratification Maputo Protocol:   Last State report: 1998  
International Criminal Court joined: yes/oui  
Country Rapporteur: no/non  
National Human Rights Institute: no/non  

Last change: 28.01.10 - 11:59