Claiming Human Rights - in Tunisia

The Republic of Tunisia 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.

Tunisia is an Arabic-speaking country in North Africa. With an area of 163,610 square km it is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to its north and north-east. On a global scale, its population density is medium. The capital of the country, which became independent on 20 March 1956 from France, is Tunis. Tunisia is a member of the regional economic communities AMU and CEN-SAD.

With a Human Development Index of 0.77 Tunisia ranks 98^th of 182 countries ranked in the UNDP Human Development Report of 2009. Life expectancy of the 10.3 million inhabitants at birth is 74 years, population growth is 1.0 percent per year. GNI is 3,290 US-$ per capita. External debt is 60.8 percent of gross national income. Primary school enrolment is 95.0 percent.

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

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

Since Tunisia 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.

Tunisia has not yet joined the International Criminal Court.