Optional Protocol to the 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
The States Parties to the present Protocol,
Considering that in order further to achieve the purposes of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (hereinafter referred to as the Covenant) and the implementation of its provisions it would be
appropriate to enable the Human Rights Committee set up in part IV of the Covenant (hereinafter referred to as
the Committee) to receive and consider, as provided in the present Protocol, communications from individuals
claiming to be victims of violations of any of the rights set forth in the Covenant.
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
A State Party to the Covenant that becomes a Party to the present Protocol recognizes the competence of the
Committee to receive and consider communications from individuals subject to its jurisdiction who claim to be
victims of a violation by that State Party of any of the rights set forth in the Covenant. No communication shall
be received by the Committee if it concerns a State Party to the Covenant which is not a Party to the present
Protocol.
Article 2
Subject to the provisions of article 1, individuals who claim that any of their rights enumerated in the Covenant
have been violated and who have exhausted all available domestic remedies may submit a written
communication to the Committee for consideration.
Article 3
The Committee shall consider inadmissible any communication under the present Protocol which is anonymous,
or which it considers to be an abuse of the right of submission of such communications or to be incompatible
with the provisions of the Covenant.
Article 4
1. Subject to the provisions of article 3, the Committee shall bring any communications submitted to it under
the present Protocol to the attention of the State Party to the present Protocol alleged to be violating any
provision of the Covenant.
2. Within six months, the receiving State shall submit to the Committee written explanations or statements
clarifying the matter and the remedy, if any, that may have been taken by that State.
Article 5
1. The Committee shall consider communications received under the present Protocol in the light of all written
information made available to it by the individual and by the State Party concerned.
2. The Committee shall not consider any communication from an individual unless it has ascertained that:
(a) The same matter is not being examined under another procedure of international investigation or
settlement;
(b) The individual has exhausted all available domestic remedies. This shall not be the rule where the
application of the remedies is unreasonably prolonged.
3. The Committee shall hold closed meetings when examining communications under the present Protocol.
4. The Committee shall forward its views to the State Party concerned and to the individual.
Article 6
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