U.N. Human Rights Scrutiny Targets U.S.

Drone assassinations and Guantanamo feature highly

An international human rights body is set to question the United States on its obligations under a key human rights treaty. The U.N. Human Rights Committee, an independent body of experts tasked with monitoring compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), this week released its list of issues, which will serve as the basis for its upcoming review of U.S. compliance with the treaty. The U.S. ratified the ICCPR in 1992 and is obligated to submit to periodic reviews of its treaty implementation efforts.

As the list of issues demonstrates, the U.S. has some serious explaining to do about how its laws and policies comport with its treaty obligations in areas ranging from the right to life, to racial discrimination, to cruel and inhumane treatment.