Introduction: The United Nations’ human rights framework provides a legal foundation for promoting and protecting the rights of individuals around the world. The framework comprises nine core treaties that establish legal and other mechanisms to hold governments accountable in the event they violate human rights. In West Africa, all 15 countries have ratified the nine core treaties, except for two treaties that are yet to be ratified by Liberia and Cape Verde.
UN Core Treaties: The UN core treaties include the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), 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 on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED).
Optional Protocols: West African countries have also ratified some of the optional protocols. The first optional protocol CCPR-OP1 for the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) and the optional protocol CEDAW-OP for The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) have been ratified by all 15 countries. However, the second optional protocol CCPR-OP2-DP for the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) has only been ratified by seven countries, while the optional protocol CRC-OP-SC for the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has been ratified by 13 countries. Liberia and Burkina Faso are yet to ratify the CRC-OP-SC protocol.
Conclusion: The United Nations’ human rights framework is essential in promoting and protecting the rights of individuals in West Africa. All countries in the region have ratified the core treaties, indicating a commitment to uphold human rights principles. However, there is still work to be done in ratifying some of the optional protocols. Countries that have not ratified the protocols should prioritize doing so to demonstrate their commitment to human rights.