Human rights covenants
The UN human rights covenants enforce universally applicable fundamental rights. They oblige countries to prevent discrimination and to promote gender equality. Both covenants have been binding in Switzerland since 1992.
Human rights and gender equality
The right to protection from discrimination and gender equality are key principles of international human rights. They are enshrined in the UN human rights covenants. Countries that ratify these covenants are bound to take action against gender discrimination and to ensure real equality in the exercise of all human rights.
UN Covenant I: Economic, social and cultural rights
The covenant protects fundamental rights to secure people’s livelihoods. These include the right to food, adequate housing and social security. It guarantees equitable working conditions and the right to form and join trade unions.
The right to education is of key importance: It is both a human right by itself as well as a prerequisite for exercising other rights.
The right to health binds states to respect the right of every individual to sexual self-determination and to ensure non-discriminatory access to health services.
The UN Covenant II was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1966 and came into force in Switzerland in 1992.
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UN Covenant II: Civil and political rights
The second human rights covenant ensures fundamental freedoms and rights. It guarantees the right to life and physical integrity, personal security and protection from discrimination.
It safeguards fundamental freedoms such as the freedom of opinion, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of religion. It also guarantees a fair hearing by an independent tribunal and protection from arbitrary arrest.
The UN Covenant II was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1966 and came into force in Switzerland in 1992.
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Further human rights standard
Important international standards on gender equality and the prevention of gender discrimination are the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights (ratified by Switzerland in 1974) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (ratified in 1997).