ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relevant aspects of public international law as it relates to States and treaty obligations. For any system of international human rights to work, it is essential that as large a number of States as possible participate, embracing the rights and obligations enshrined in the salient instruments. In other words, their participation should be absolute. The object and purpose of the Covenant is to create legally binding standards for human rights by defining certain civil and political rights and placing them in a framework of obligations which are legally binding for those States which ratify; and to provide an efficacious supervisory machinery for the obligations undertaken. Convention are principles which are recognized by civilized nations as binding on States, even without any conventional obligation. Perceived terrorist threats, extreme famine, major geographical catastrophes and armed conflict are all potential reasons for derogating from convention obligations.
