Other international human rights

There are nine core international human rights treaties. The most important of these is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, along with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights.
There is in addition the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Convention against Torture (CAT), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Perhaps one of the most important of these, since the implementation of the European Convention in the UK through the Human Rights Act, is the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights because it covers a broad range of important rights. While the rights contained in this international treaty cannot yet be directly relied on in the courts of Scotland, the UK is legally bound to meet the obligations laid down by that treaty.
This sets out economic social and cultural rights guaranteed in that treaty to which the UK is legally bound, and includes rights relating to the workplace, social security, adequate housing, food, water, health care and education.
Under its international commitments to economic social and cultural rights, the UK, and Scotland, should show progress over time towards the full realisation of these rights for everyone. This means taking steps, according to the maximum of available resources, to progressively achieve their full realisation.

The treaties can be found by following the links below.


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