International Treaty Articles
by Keyword

International and Regional Human Rights Instruments Cited

African Charter (AC)

American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR)

Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading

Treatment or Punishment (CAT)

Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

European Convention for Human Rights (ECPHR)

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

Medical Codes and Declarations Cited

Declaration of Tokyo (DT)

World Medical Association 1948 Geneva Declaration (WMAGD)

World Medical Association International Code of Medical Ethics (WMAIC)

International Treaty Articles by Key Word

Arbitrary Arrest or Detention

• No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile (UDHR Article 9)
• No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention (ICCPR Article 9)

Association

• Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association (UDHR Article 20)
• Everyone has the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests (ICCPR Article 22;

ECPHR Article 11)

• Every individual shall have the right to assemble freely with others (AC Article 11)

Child

• States Parties shall take all effective and appropriate measures with a view to abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children (CRC Article 24,3)
• shall protect the child from all forms of physical and mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse while in the care of parents, legal guardians or any other person who has the care of the child (CRC Article 19)
• shall ensure that no child shall be subject to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CRC Article 37)
• shall ensure the elimination of every discrimination against women and also censure the protection of the rights of the women and the child as stipulated in international declarations and conventions (AC Article 18,3)

Discrimination

• States parties shall refrain from engaging in any act of practice of discrimination against women (CEDAW Article 2,d) and to ensure that public authorities and institutions shall act in conformity with this obligation and to take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to codify or abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices whish constitute discrimination against women (CEDAW Article 2,f)
• shall take all appropriate measures to modify the social and cultural patters of conduct of men and women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices and customary and all other practices which are based on the idea of inferiority or the superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women (CEDAW Article 5,a)
• shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in all matters relating to marriage and family relations and shall ensure the interests of children are paramount (CEDAW Article 16)
• shall ensure the elimination of every discrimination against women and also ensure the protection of the rights of the women and the child as stipulated in international declarations and conventions (AC Article 18,3; CRC Article 18)

Equal

• ensure the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all economic, social, and cultural rights (ICESCR Article 3)

Ethics

• I [the physician] shall respect the secrets, which are confided in me (WMAGD)
• The health of my patient will be the first consideration (WMAGD)
• I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from its beginning even under threat and I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity (WMAGD)
• A physician shall respect the rights of patients, of colleagues, and of other health professionals and shall safeguard patient confidences (WMAIC)

• A physician shall act only in the patient's interest when providing medical care which might have the effect of weakening the physical and mental condition of the patient (WMAIC)
• It is a contravention of medical ethics for health personnel, particularly physicians, to be involved with any professional relationship with prisoners or detainees the purpose of which is not solely to evaluate, protect or improve their physical or mental health (UNPME, Principle 3)

Exile

• No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile (UDHR Article 9)
• No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter his own country

(ICCPR Article 12, 4)

Expression

• Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this freedom shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice (ICCPR Article 19)
• Everyone shall have the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers (UDHR Article 19)
• Every individual shall have the right to express and disseminate his opinions within the law (AC Article 9, 2)
• Everyone has the right to freedom of expression (ECPHR Article 10)

Fair

• Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him (UDHR Article 10)
• All persons shall be equal before courts and tribunals. In the determination of any criminal charge against him, or of his rights and obligations in suit at law, everyone shall be entitled to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law (ICCPR Article 14)

Health

• Every individual shall have the right to enjoy the best attainable state of physical and mental health (AC Article 16,1)
• States Parties shall take the necessary measures to protect the health of their people and to ensure that they receive medical attention when they are sick (AC Article 16,2)
• Everyone has the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (ICESCR Article 12,1)

Interference

• No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor unlawful attacks on his honor and reputation (ICCPR Article 17,1)
• Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks (ICCPR Article 17,2)

Life

• Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person (UDHR Article 3; ICCPR Article 9)
• Every human being shall be entitled to respect for his life and the integrity of his person

(AC Article 4)

Medical

• Everyone has the right to conditions which assure to all medical attention and service in the event of sickness (ICESCR Article 12,2,D)

Movement

• Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence (ICCPR Article12,1)

Rehabilitation

• ensure in its legal system that the victim of an act of torture obtains redress and has an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation, including the means for as full rehabilitation as possible (CAT Article 14)

Scientific

• everyone has the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications (ICESCR Article 15,b)
• interference with scientific freedom
• right to conduct professional activities without interference

Torture

• No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (UDHR Article 5; ICCPR Article 7, ACHR Article 5, 2)
• shall ensure that no child shall be subject to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CRC Article 37,a)
• Every person has the right to have his physical, mental and moral integrity respected

(ACHR Article 5, 1)

• The doctor shall not countenance, condone or participate in the practice of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading procedures...(DT)
• The doctor shall not be present during any procedure during which torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment is used or threatened (DT)
• All forms of exploitation and degradation of man particularly slavery, slave trade, torture, inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment shall be prohibited (AC Article 5)

Travel

• Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country (UDHR Article 13, 2; ICCPR Article 12,2; AC Article 12,2)
• Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence (UDHR Article 13, 1; ICCPR Article 12, 1; AC Article 12,1)

Science and Human Rights Program

Science and Human Rights Program Publications