Section 52p. 52

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW COMPENDIUM VOLUME I

community with others and in public or private, to

manifest

his

religion

or

belief in teaching, practice,

worship and observance.

Article 19.

Everyone

has

the

right to freedom of opinion and

expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions

without interference and to seek, receive and impart

information and ideas through any media and regardless

of frontiers.

Article 20.

(1)

Everyone

has

the

right

to

freedom

of

peaceful

assembly and association.

(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government

of

his

country,

directly

or

through

freely

chosen

representatives.

(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public

service in his country.

(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the

authority of government; this will shall be expressed in

periodic

and

genuine

elections

which

shall

be

by

universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret

vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social

security and is entitled to realization, through national

effort and international co-operation and in accordance

with the organization and resources of each State, of the

economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his

dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of

employment, to just and favourable conditions of work

and to protection against unemployment.

(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to

equal pay for equal work.

(3)

Everyone

who

works

has

the right to just and

favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his

family

an

existence

worthy

of

human

dignity,

and

supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social

protection.

(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade

unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including

reasonable

limitation of working hours and periodic

holidays with pay.

Article 25.

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate

for the health and well-being of himself and of his family,

including food, clothing, housing and medical care and

necessary social services, and the right to security in the

event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood,

old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances

beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care

and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of

wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be

free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages.

Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and

professional education shall be made generally available

and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on

the basis of merit.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of

the human personality and to the strengthening of

respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It

shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship

among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall

further

the

activities

of the United Nations for the

maintenance of peace.

(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of

education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the

cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to

share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral

and

material

interests

resulting

from

any scientific,

literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in

which

the

rights

and

freedoms

set

forth

in

this

Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29.

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone

the

free

and

full development of his personality is

possible.

(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone

shall

be

subject

only

to

such

limitations

as

are

determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due

recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of

others and of meeting the just requirements of morality,

public order and the general welfare in a democratic

society.

(3)

These

rights

and freedoms may in no case be

exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the

United Nations.

Article 30.

Nothing

in

this

Declaration

may

be

interpreted

as

implying for any State, group or person any right to

engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the

destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth

herein.

International Covenant on Civil and

Political Rights

Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and

accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI)

of 16 December 1966

entry into force 23 March 1976, in accordance with

Article 49

Preamble

The States Parties to the present Covenant,

Considering

that,

in

accordance

with

the principles

proclaimed

in

the

Charter

of

the

United

Nations,

recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and

inalienable rights of all members of the human family is

the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the

world,

Recognizing that these rights derive from the inherent

dignity of the human person,

Recognizing

that,

in

accordance

with

the

Universal

Declaration of Human Rights, the ideal of free human

beings enjoying civil and political freedom and freedom

from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are

created whereby everyone may enjoy his civil and political

rights, as well as his economic, social and cultural rights,

© Compiled by RGL

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