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Claiming Human Rights - in Seychelles

The Republic of Seychelles 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.

Seychelles is a Seychellois Creole-, English- and French-speaking country of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar. With an area of 451 square km it is a very small country. On a global scale, its population density is high. The capital of the country, which became independent on 29 June 1976 from the United Kingdom, is Victoria. Seychelles is a member of the regional economic communities SADC and COMESA.

With a Human Development Index of 0.85 Seychelles ranks 57th of 182 countries ranked in the UNDP Human Development Report of 2009. Life expectancy of the 100,000 inhabitants at birth is 73 years, population growth is 1.5 percent per year. GNI is 10,290 US-$ per capita. External debt is 190.8 percent of gross national income. Primary school enrolment is 99.4 percent.

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

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

Since Seychelles 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.

Seychelles has not yet joined the International Criminal Court.

Signature:   Ratification: 1992 (accession) Reservations: no/non Signature optional protocol:   Ratification optional protocol: 1992 (accession) Reservations: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature:   Ratification: 1992 (accession) Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature:   Ratification: 1978 (accession) Reservations: no/non Competence CERD acknowledged: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations: 1997  
Signature:   Ratification: 1992 (accession) Reservations: no/non Signature optional protocol: 2002 Ratification optional protocol:   Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature:   Ratification: 1992 (accession) Reservations: no/non Article 22 competence acknowledged: yes/oui Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature:   Ratification: 1990 (accession) Reservations: no/non Last State report: 2002 Last concluding observations: 2012  
Signature:   Ratification: 1994 (accession) Reservations: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature:   Ratification:   Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature: 2007 Ratification: 2009 Reservations: no/non Signature optional protocol: 2007 Ratification optional protocol:   Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Ratification Banjul Charter: 1992 Ratification Protocol African Court:   Ratification Children's Charter: 1992 Ratification Maputo Protocol: 2006 Last State report: 2004  
International Criminal Court joined: yes/oui 
Country Rapporteur: no/non  
National Human Rights Institute: no/non  

Last change: 28.01.10 - 12:42