International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

ICCPR is an international human rights treaty adopted in 1966. The UK agreed to follow ICCPR in 1976. It enables people to enjoy a wide range of human rights, including those relating to:

• freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
• fair trial rights
• freedom of thought, religion and expression
• privacy, home and family life
• equality and non-discrimination

The UN last examined how well the UK is implementing ICCPR in June 2015 and published its recommendations in August 2015. The UN’s next examination of the UK is scheduled for March 2024.

Recommendations for the UK from 2015 included:

• making sure that any legislation passed to replace the Human Rights Act 1998 strengthens protections for human rights in the UK
• maintaining an adequate balance between national security and accountability for human rights violations allegedly committed by British Forces overseas
• strengthening efforts to prevent racism and xenophobia
• strengthening measures to prevent violence against women and girls
• taking action to prevent self-inflicted deaths and self-harm of adults and young people in the custody of the state
• establishing a time limit on immigration detention, and ensuring reforms to the detained fast track system comply fully with international human rights law
• reviewing the surveillance laws so that any interference with the right to privacy is legal, proportionate and necessary

The work we have produced as part of our ICCPR monitoring includes:

• submissions on the UK's implementation of the ICCPR to inform the UN's upcoming examination (February 2024 and March 2020)
• statement for the Human Rights Committee's periodic examination of the UK (March 2024)
• a follow-up report on the Human Rights Committee’s report of the UK (July 2016) (Welsh version)
• an updated submission on the UK’s implementation of the ICCPR (May 2015)
• a submission on the UK’s implementation of the ICCPR (July 2014)