Individual Communications in the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Abstract

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination became the first international human rights treaty and a pioneer in incorporating the «international individual and group petition» as a monitoring mechanism. The travaux préparatoires of the Convention demonstrate the principles that underpinned the individual's right to petition: the need for a remedy, above and beyond States, and reparations that ensure respect and guarantee the full realization of human rights. However, the delegations that showed the greatest enthusiasm during the preparatory work are those that were slowest to accept the optional individual communications mechanism provided for in the extensive article 14 of the Convention. Competent since 1982 to deal with individual communications, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has published a total of 60 of the 81 communications registered. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the origin and evolution of the individual communications mechanism of the Convention, to conclude on the standard of protection established by the Committee, as the monitory body of the Convention, and the measures applied both for individuals and groups of individuals.