Human Rights Conventions
What are Human Rights Covenants?
International human rights covenants are human rights standards formulated by the United Nations, signed by governments worldwide, and committed to observance. Although Taiwan is not a UN member state, it has domesticized and implemented several core human rights covenants through domestic laws since 2009, and regularly undergoes reviews by international experts to evaluate the government's practical effectiveness in protecting people's fundamental rights.
Through participating in civil society's parallel reporting mechanism, JRF presents human rights issues in areas such as criminal justice, the death penalty, torture, and the treatment of persons with disabilities from an independent civil society perspective, while proposing concrete recommendations for improvement to the government.
Key Human Rights Covenants Implemented in Taiwan
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Commonly referred to as the "Two Covenants", implemented in 2009. They cover core issues such as personal liberty, fair trial, freedom of expression, the right to life, and the abolition of the death penalty, and are subject to regular international expert review.
and its Optional Protocol
Prohibits subjecting anyone to torture or inhuman treatment. Taiwan has yet to complete the legislative enactment of its implementation act; JRF continues to advocate for its immediate passage and the establishment of a National Preventive Mechanism against torture.
Implemented in 2014. Safeguards the equal participation and independent living rights of persons with disabilities. JRF focuses on the treatment and disposition of persons with psychosocial disabilities in the criminal justice system.
Implemented in 2014. Protects the best interests of children and youths alongside their fundamental rights. JRF advocates and makes recommendations on juvenile justice and child protection issues.
JRF's Work in the Field of Human Rights Covenants
Uniting multiple civil society organizations to submit independent parallel reports to international review committees regarding criminal justice, the death penalty, torture, prisoner treatment, and other issues.
Dispatching representatives to international review sessions for the Two Covenants, CRPD, and others to directly present civil society perspectives to committee experts and address shortcomings in government reports.
Pushing for the prompt legislation of the Implementation Act of the Convention against Torture, demanding a halt to executions, and urging the government to implement concrete recommendations from the covenants' concluding observations.
Cooperating with Amnesty International, UN Special Rapporteurs, and human rights organizations across Asia to jointly promote regional human rights progress and show solidarity with persecuted individuals.
Key Issues We Continuously Monitor
- Abolition of the Death Penalty and Suspension of Executions: The death penalty is the most severe deprivation of the right to life. JRF urges the government to suspend executions and establish a clear timeline for the abolition of the death penalty, rather than using "public opinion" as an excuse for prevarication.
- Ending Torture: On June 26th each year, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, JRF unites with human rights organizations to continuously advocate for the passage of the Implementation Act of the Convention against Torture, ensuring that victims obtain effective remedies and perpetrators are held accountable.
- Fair Trial and Personal Liberty: The due process of arrest procedures, the principle of non-publicity of investigations, the protection of the right to counsel, and wrongful conviction rescue are all directly related to the core obligations under Articles 9 and 14 of the ICCPR.
- Persons with Disabilities in Criminal Justice: Persons with psychosocial disabilities often lack adequate protection during investigation, trial, and execution within correctional institutions. JRF monitors the constitutionality and CRPD compliance of the system of custody and medical treatment (monitoring disposition).
- Indigenous Human Rights: Focusing on indigenous cultural identity (single-name registration), the criminal prosecution of traditional hunting rights, and the realization of cultural rights for minority groups under Article 27 of the Two Covenants.
- Trend Toward Penal Extremism: Opposing the Legislative Yuan's populist practice of continuously increasing statutory penalties. Criminal policy should return to an empirical basis to avoid over-criminalization exacerbating the misallocation of judicial resources and the burden on correctional institution populations.
Timeline of International Reviews on the Two Covenants
⚖️ Implementation Act of the Convention against Torture – Still Awaiting Passage
The draft implementation acts for the Convention against Torture (CAT) and its Optional Protocol (OPCAT) were submitted by the Executive Yuan to the Legislative Yuan in 2018 and 2020 respectively, but have yet to complete review. Taiwan is currently one of the few democracies that has implemented multiple international human rights covenants yet has not implemented CAT. JRF continues to unite with civil society human rights organizations to demand that the Legislative Yuan pass the legislation swiftly and establish a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM).
Learn More, and Advance Human Rights Together
Read JRF's parallel reports, press releases, and commentary articles to understand how we promote judicial human rights reform through covenant mechanisms.
2026
The 4th National Report International Review Meeting for the Two Covenants: Summary of Statements
This week marks the quadrennial international review of the Two Covenants (ICCPR and ICESCR). This review meeting…
2026
NGO Statement｜International Review of Taiwan's Fourth National Reports under the Two Covenants
First, we affirm the government's regular implementation of treaty reviews. Since the first review of the two Covenants…
2026
Sidelights｜Understanding and Handling Racial Discrimination on Campus｜Workshop
In recent years, discriminatory speech on campus has appeared with increasing frequency, causing psychological and…
2025
Sidelights｜The Two Covenants Review is Approaching: How Are Indigenous Youth Responding? Indigenous Human Rights Classroom
Hosted by the Taiwan Indigenous Youth Public Participation Association, the "Indigenous Human Rights Classroom" lecture…
2024
Op-Ed | June 26 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture: How Much Longer Must We Wait for the Convention against Torture?
When faced with violence inflicted by others, we may still have a shred of strength to fight back or resist. However,…
2023
Joint Open Letter | Open Letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping Regarding the Non-Refoulement of North Koreans and Refugee Status
The Chinese government claims to handle the issue of North Korean escapees in accordance with its domestic law,…
2023
Joint Open Letter | Open Letter to President Yoon Suk-yeol of the Republic of Korea on the Issue of Abolishing the Death Penalty
We wish to remind the Republic of Korea that the use of the death penalty is inconsistent with its international legal…
2022
Seminar Sidelights | Screening of "Good Madam" and Post-Screening Discussion
Human rights are inherent to all people and should not be differentiated by a person's gender, race, nationality,…
2022
Seminar Sidelights｜Good Madam: Where Do the Ghosts Still Linger?
"The classic shot of this film is right here," said Attorney Chia-yun. "Look at the drainage ditch." The film begins…
2019
The Distance Between Mental Illness and the Real World
In the hit drama The World Between Us, when Ying Szu-yueh faces her younger brother Ying Szu-ts'ung's mental illness,…
2017
Services for Juvenile Delinquents through the Lens of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Taiwan's approach to handling "juvenile delinquents" may potentially violate the Convention on the Rights of the Child,…
2014
Elite Legal Professionals Urged to Take the Two Covenants Seriously
Some commentators recently argued that Taiwan has not accepted the Two Covenants without reservation, that the content…