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Human Rights Agenda

The Global Justice Program’s Human Rights Agenda advances the utility of the rights-based framework as an organizing tool for marginalized communities and social movements to articulate claims of socio-political rights and belonging. Toward this goal, and consistent with OBI’s belonging framework, we collaborate with US-based human rights and civil rights organizations to submit stakeholder reports to the United Nations Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Council. Our stakeholder reports provide context and recommendations to the UN regarding civil and human rights issues in the United States. The reports are instrumental in documenting the US government’s violations as well as informing the UN’s review and recommendations to hold the US Government and legislative bodies accountable to  international obligations concerning civil liberties and rights as related to three major international covenants and treaties:

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a key international human rights treaty, providing a range of protections for civil and political rights. The ICCPR, together with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, are considered the International Bill of Human Rights. Accordingly, US civil society organizations have the opportunity to partake in such processes by reviewing the US Government’s record in adhering to its international obligations.

The International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD or more commonly referenced as CERD) is a human rights treaty designed to protect individuals and groups from discrimination based on race, whether intentional or not, resulting from seemingly neutral policies. The United States ratified the CERD in 1994 and is therefore bound by all treaty provisions, which includes a periodic compliance review conducted by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) whereby every 4.5 years the United States government undergoes a peer review process of its human rights records. Stakeholder reports by civil society organizations are submitted to the UN Human Rights Council regarding the US government’s adherence to its human rights obligations and commitments.

OBI Stakeholder Reports to the United Nations Human Rights Commission and Council:

These reports pertain to specific international treaties and obligations that the US legislative authorities have signed on. These treaties include: The Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).