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Claiming Human Rights - in South Africa

The Republic of South Africa 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.

South Africa is an eleven languages-speaking country, among them Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English, at the southern tip of Africa. With an area of 1,221,037 square km it has an extensive coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. On a global scale, its population density is low. The capital of the country, which became independent on 31 May 1910 from the United Kingdom, is Pretoria. South Africa is a member of the regional economic community SADC.

With a Human Development Index of 0.68 South Africa ranks 129th of 182 countries ranked in the UNDP Human Development Report of 2009. Life expectancy of the 48.7 million inhabitants at birth is 50 years, population growth is 1.7 percent per year. GNI is 5,820 US-$ per capita. External debt is 15.8 percent of gross national income. Primary school enrolment is 85.8 percent.

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

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

Since South Africa 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.

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

Signature: 1994 Ratification: 1998 Reservations: no/non Signature optional protocol:   Ratification optional protocol: 2002 (accession) Reservations: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature: 1994 Ratification:   Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature: 1994 Ratification: 1998 Reservations: no/non Competence CERD acknowledged: yes/oui Last State report: 2005 Last concluding observations:    
Signature: 1993 Ratification: 1995 Reservations: no/non Signature optional protocol:   Ratification optional protocol: 2005 (accession) Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations: 1998  
Signature: 1993 Ratification: 1998 Reservations: yes/oui Article 22 competence acknowledged: yes/oui Last State report: 2005 Last concluding observations: 2006  
Signature: 1993 Ratification: 1995 Reservations: no/non Last State report: 1999 Last concluding observations: 2000  
Signature:   Ratification:   Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature:   Ratification:   Reservations:   Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Signature: 2007 Ratification: 2007 Reservations: no/non Signature optional protocol: 2007 Ratification optional protocol: 2007 Reservations: no/non Last State report:   Last concluding observations:    
Ratification Banjul Charter: 1996 Ratification Protocol African Court: 2002 Ratification Children's Charter: 2000 Ratification Maputo Protocol: 2004 Last State report: 2005  
International Criminal Court joined: yes/oui  
Country Rapporteur: no/non  
National Human Rights Institute: yes/oui  

Last change: 28.01.10 - 11:56