USA: Human rights betrayed: 20 years after US ratification of ICCPR, human rights principles sidelined by ‘Global War’ theory

Index Number: AMR 51/041/2012
Date Published: 7 June 2012
Categories: USA

The 20th anniversary of the USA’s ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, one of the core international treaties codifying the rights articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is an opportune moment for the USA to re-visit its relationship to international human rights law and standards. As this report shows, double standards still prevail, with the USA’s ongoing failure both to adhere to international human rights standards in its counter-terrorism policies and to ensure accountability and remedy for past abuses in this context.