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Claiming Human Rights - in the Niger

The Republic of the Niger 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.

The Niger is a French-speaking country in West Africa. It is a landlocked country with an area of 1,267,000 square km – the sixth largest on the continent. On a global scale, its population density is very low. The capital of the country, which became independent on 3 August 1960 from France, is Niamey. Niger is a member of the regional economic communities ECOWAS and CEN-SAD.

With a Human Development Index of 0.34 the Niger ranks lowest among the 182 countries ranked in the UNDP Human Development Report of 2009. Life expectancy of the 14.7 million inhabitants at birth is 57 years, population growth is 3.3 percent per year. GNI is 330 US-$ per capita. External debt is 23.0 percent of gross national income. Primary school enrolment is 44.9 percent.

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

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

Since the Niger 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.

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

Signature:   Ratification: 1986 (accession) Reservations: no/non Signature optional protocol:   Ratification optional protocol: 1986 (accesion) Reservations: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations: 1993  
Signature:   Ratification: 1986 (accession) Reservations: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature: 1966 Ratification: 1967 Reservations: no/non Competence CERD acknowledged: no/non Last State report: 1997 Last concluding observations: 1999  
Signature:   Ratification: 1999 (accession) Reservations: yes/oui Signature optional protocol:   Ratification optional protocol: 2004 (accession) Reservations:   Last State report: 2005 Last concluding observations: 2007  
Signature:   Ratification: 1998 (accession) 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: 2008 Last concluding observations: 2009  
Signature:   Ratification: 2009 (accession) Reservations: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature: 2007 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: 1986 Ratification Protocol African Court: 2004 Ratification Children's Charter: 1999 Ratification Maputo Protocol:   Last State report: 2003  
International Criminal Court joined: yes/oui  
Country Rapporteur: no/non  
National Human Rights Institute: yes/oui  

Last change: 28.01.10 - 12:16