New ratifications in 2015

The UN treaty body system continues to grow at an impressive rate, especially since it is approaching universal ratification of several of the available instruments. There were 53 new ratifications during 2015. This represents a 2.4% growth rate.  The last 4 years' growth has looked like this:

Year	New	Growth	Total
2015	53	2.4%	2222
2014	59	2.7%	2167
2013	46	2.2%	2108
2012	59	2.9%	2061

These ratifications include both new countries ratifying one of the 12 major human rights instruments, and existing member countries ratifying or accepting the individual complaint mechanisms that are available under most of the treaties. 

Breakout per treaty

Here is what the breakout now looks like per treaty 

instrument	total	complaint mechanism	subject
CERD	177	57	racial discrimination
CCPR	168	115	civil, political
CESCR	164	21	econ, social, cultural
CAT	158	66	torture
OPCAT	80		torture prevention
CEDAW	189	106	women
CRC	196	22	children
OPSC/CRC	171		child pornography
OPAC/CRC	162		child soldiers
CMW	48	4	migrant workers
CRPD	160	88	disabilities
CED	51	19	disappearances
TOTALS	1724	498	2222

Ratifications per treaty instrument

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)

• Togo ratified the treaty on January 9
• Panama accepted the individual complaint mechanism on May 7

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR)

• no new ratifications

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)

• Belize ratified the treaty on March 9
• South Africa ratified the treaty on January 12
• France ratified the individual complaint mechanism on March 18
• Italy ratified the individual complaint mechanism on February 20
• Luxembourg ratified the individual complaint mechanism on February 3
• San Marino ratified the individual complaint mechanism on August 4

Convention Against Torture (CAT)

• South Sudan ratified the treaty on April 30
• Viet Nam ratified the treaty on February 2
• San Marino ratified the individual complaint mechanism on August 4

Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT)

• Belize ratified the protocol on September 4
• Mongolia ratified the protocol on February 12
• Rwanda ratified the protocol on June 30
• South Sudan ratified the protocol on April 30

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

• South Sudan ratified the treaty on April 30
• South Sudan ratified the individual complaint mechanism on April 30

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

• Somalia ratified the treaty on October 1
• South Sudan ratified the treaty on January 23
• Argentina ratified the individual complaint mechanism on April 14
• Chile ratified the individual complaint mechanism on September 1
• Denmark ratified the individual complaint mechanism on October 7
• El Salvador ratified the individual complaint mechanism on February 2
• Mongolia ratified the individual complaint mechanism on September 28
• Uruguay ratified the individual complaint mechanism on February 23
• Several countries also withdrew reservations to the treaty including
• Austria (October 1)
• Brunei Darussalam (August 10)
• Iceland (May 20)
• Oman (May 19)
• Kiribati (September 16)
• Czech Republic (December 2)
• Finland (November 12)

Optional Protocol to the CRC on the sale, pornography of children (OPSC)

• Bahamas ratified the protocol on September 28
• Kiribati ratified the protocol on September 16

Optional Protocol to the CRC on child soldiers (OPAC)

• Bahamas ratified the protocol on September 28
• Micronesia ratified the protocol on October 26
• Kiribati ratified the protocol on September 16
• Ireland modified its declaration on the minimum age to serve in the military, from 17 years to 18 years (January 12)

International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW)

• Madagascar ratified the treaty on May 19
• El Salvador ratified the individual complaint mechanism on January 23 (the complaint mechanism has not yet come into effect; it needs 6 more ratifications)

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

• Bahamas ratified the treaty on September 28
• Democratic Republic of the Congo ratified the treaty on September 30
• Gambia ratified the treaty on July 6
• Kazakhstan ratified the treaty on April 21
• Madagascar ratified the treaty on June 12
• Marshall Islands ratified the treaty on March 17
• Sao Tome and Principe ratified the treaty on November 5
• Trinidad and Tobago ratified the treaty on June 25
• Viet Nam ratified the treaty on February 5
• Democratic Republic of the Congo ratified the individual complaint mechanism on September 30
• Gambia ratified the individual complaint mechanism on July 6
• El Salvador withdrew its prior reservation on conflicts with its Constitution (March 18)
• Thailand withdrew its reservation on conflicts with its national laws, regulations and practices (February 5)

International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED)

• Belize ratified the treaty on August 14
• Greece ratified the treaty on July 9
• Italy ratified the treaty on October 8
• Malta ratified the treaty on March 27
• Mongolia ratified the treaty on February 12
• Niger ratified the treaty on July 24
• Ukraine ratified the treaty on August 14
• Ukraine ratified the individual complaint mechanism on August 14

Conclusion

The steady growth in the system is one indication of its general health and stability as a system, and its growing acceptance among state parties. However, one would hope that budgets and personnel resources would catch up to the backlogs and growth trends. One other human rights treaty that bears mentioning is the Genocide Convention -- it entered into force in January 1951, and now has 147 state parties, including one new ratification in 2015, Tajikistan (November 3). While this Convention has no active treaty body monitoring its compliance like the other instruments above, it is clearly important and available as a legal commitment in the event of grave human rights violations.