to that State.40 Further, certain human right treaties
also allow States to temporarily derogate, when
strict conditions are met.41 Derogation suspends
the legal effects of specific provisions in the State.
Even under such treaties, some rights, for example the right to freedom from torture and the right
to freedom of thought, conscience and religion,
can never be derogated. Finally, some treaties allow certain rights, to be restricted, when specific
requirements (a legitimate aim, legality, necessity,
proportionality, and non-discrimination) are met.
27.
Another source of human rights law is
customary international law established through
State practice that is undertaken by States in the
belief that such practice is required by law (opinio
juris). Customary law is applicable to all States.
28.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child,
a human rights treaty enumerating the rights of
every person under 18 years of age and corresponding state obligations, has been ratified by
all Member States, except one. Many of its provisions are now also part of “customary international law” that binds all States, even if they have
not ratified the Convention.
29.
Human rights obligations of a State party
to a treaty are binding on all State organs and
agents. All branches of government (executive,
legislative and judicial) and other public or government authorities at national, regional or local
levels are obligated to fulfill the requirements.42
30.
The principle of non-refoulement prohibits States from removing individuals, regardless
of migration, nationality, asylum or other status,
from their jurisdiction when they would be at risk
of irreparable harm upon return to the country
of origin. This type of harm includes persecution, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment, arbitrary deprivation of life, including as a result of a death sentence pronounced
without the fundamental guarantees of fair trial, and other gross violations of human rights,
such as underage recruitment and participation in hostilities.43 To that end, States must establish mechanisms for the purposes of hearing
and assessing, on an individual basis, any fears
expressed by the child, or their family, regarding
the risks associated with repatriation. The principle is well founded under international human
rights treaties44 and is also considered as customary international law binding on all States.45
42 Human Rights Committee, general comment No. 31
(2004) on nature of the general legal obligation imposed on
States parties to the Covenant, para. 4.
43 Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on
the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families/ No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the
Rights of the Child on state obligations regarding the human
rights of children in the context of international migration in
countries of origin, transit, destination and return, para. 45;
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), “The updated
Commentary on the First Geneva Convention” (2016), pg. 1218.
40 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969), art. 2(1)
(d).
44 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1985), art. 3; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), art. 6.
41 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(1969), art. 4; Convention for the Protection of Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms (1950) (European Convention on
Human Rights), art. 15; and American Convention on Human
Rights (1969), art. 27.
45 UNHCR, “Advisory Opinion on the Extraterritorial Application of Non-Refoulement Obligations under the 1951
Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967
Protocol” (2007), available at www.unhcr.org/4d9486929.pdf,
paras. 21-22.
20.