INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS
INTERNATIONAL TREATIES
Apart from its domestic laws, SVG has signed, ratified, and acceded to a number of international documents under the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of American States (OAS). These documents (declarations/treaties/conventions) may give rise to a number of international legal obligations.
The UN is one of the largest international organizations in the world. Amongst other things, it is dedicated to promoting human rights. This includes promoting equality and non-discrimination. To learn more about the United Nations Human Rights System, follow this link and check the UN Treaty Body Database for important documents. To learn more about some of the different documents under the UN that SVG has signed, ratified, or acceded to, see the links below:
Charter
Declaration
Civil and Political Rights
Social and Economic Rights
Children's rights
Women's rights
Racial Rights
Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Asylum, Refugee and/or Migrant rights
Indigenous Persons
SVG has ratified or acceded to some treaties or important documents under the OAS.
Under the OAS we have the Interamerican Human Rights System which is the regional human rights mechanism for member states in the OAS. The Interamerican Court of Human Rights is located in San José, Costa Rica, and the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights is located in Washington, USA. To learn more about the Interamerican System of Human Rights, kindly follow this link.
Learn more about some of the different documents under the OAS which SVG has signed, ratified, or acceded to below:
Charter
Declaration
Women's Rights
NON-BINDING INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS
There are many non-binding international documents that may be useful concerning promoting equality and protecting against discrimination in SVG.
-
Declaration of Principles on Equality and commentary
The Declaration was created by a group of experts and activists, outlining the principles relating to the fundamental international human rights norms of equality and non-discrimination.
1. Declaration of Principles on Equality
2. Commentary on the Declaration of Principles on Equality
-
LGBTQ+ rights
Presently, there is no binding international convention on States protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ persons, however, we do have the Yogyakarta Principles and the Yogyakarta Principles plus 10, which are both non-binding.
2. The Yogyakarta Principles plus 10
-
Disability Rights
Guidelines have been prepared by the United Nations Office at Geneva as part of efforts to implement the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy, launched in 2019. The Strategy is a key framework for policy and action to mainstream disability inclusion at the United Nations. It is aimed at removing barriers and engaging persons with disabilities in all spheres of work and life in order to achieve sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion.
1. UN Disabilities Inclusion Guidelines - Take a Look at Annex 1 and Annex 2
REPORTS
Human Rights Watch
- "They Can Harass Us Because of the Laws” Violence and Discrimination against LGBT People in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines" (2023)
- “I Have to Leave to Be Me” Discriminatory Laws against LGBT People in the Eastern Caribbean (2018)
United Nations (Click here for Full list of documents in the Treaty Body Database)
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Universal Periodic Review (2016)
- Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (2003)
UN General Assembly Resolution and Reports
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Every year the Commission publishes annual, thematic, and country reports on the Human Rights situation in the region, including SVG. Click here to read the annual reports, click here to read the thematic reports, and click here to read the country reports.
The Commission also publishes Compendiums and Practical Guidelines.
ISSUES
1. Neglect of Implementation of International Human Rights Treaties at the Domestic Level
SVG has signed, acceded to, or ratified various international human rights treaties. However, the State needs to do more than this. It needs to implement these treaties at the domestic level. So far, SVG has failed to implement most international treaties at the domestic level.
2. Neglect of OAS/Interamerican Human Rights System
The Interamerican human rights system was specifically created to address human rights issues in the Americas and the Caribbean. However, SVG has failed to sign, accede to or ratify some important human rights treaties under the Interamerican human rights system such as the American Convention on Human Rights and the Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ("Protocol of San Salvador"). Additionally, so far it has failed to take the necessary steps so that the Interamerican Court of Human Rights can have jurisdiction over it.
This page is updated regularly! See you soon!