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Claiming Human Rights - in Guinea-Bissau

The Republic of Guinea-Bissau 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-Bissau is a Portuguese-speaking country in West Africa. With an area of 36,152 square km it is rather small. It 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 10 September 1974 from Portugal, is Bissau. Guinea-Bissau is a member of the regional economic communities ECOWAS and CEN-SAD.

With a Human Development Index of 0.40 Guinea-Bissau ranks tenth lowest among 182 countries ranked in the UNDP Human Development Report of 2009. Life expectancy of the 1.6 million inhabitants at birth is 48 years, population growth is 2.2 percent per year. GNI is 250 US-$ per capita. External debt is 213.6 percent of gross national income. Primary school enrolment is 45.1 percent.

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

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

Since Guinea-Bissau 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-Bissau has not yet joined the International Criminal Court.

Signature: 2000 Ratification:   Reservations: no/non Signature optional protocol: 2000 Ratification optional protocol:   Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature:   Ratification: 1992 (accession) Reservations: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature: 2000 Ratification:   Reservations:   Competence CERD acknowledged:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature: 1980 Ratification: 1985 Reservations: no/non Signature optional protocol:   Ratification optional protocol: 2009 (accession) Reservations: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature: 2000 Ratification:   Reservations: no/non Article 22 competence acknowledged: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature: 1990 Ratification: 1990 Reservations: no/non Last State report: 2001 Last concluding observations: 2002  
Signature: 2000 Ratification:   Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature:   Ratification:   Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature:   Ratification:   Reservations:   Signature optional protocol:   Ratification optional protocol:   Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Ratification Banjul Charter: 1985 Ratification Protocol African Court:   Ratification Children's Charter: 2008 Ratification Maputo Protocol: 2008 Last State report:    
International Criminal Court joined: no/non  
Country Rapporteur: no/non  
National Human Rights Institute: no/non  

Last change: 28.01.10 - 11:59