Jan 08 2013

Identity Project tells UN Human Rights Committee that US violates the right to travel

It’s that time, as it is every five years, for the U.N. Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) to review the status in the U.S of the rights protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) — including the right to travel.

The Identity Project is taking part in this process by informing the UNHRC about the ways the US has violated the right to travel, and making recommendations for issues related to the right to travel which the UNHRC should raise with the US during its review.

On December 28, 2012, as part of a joint submission to the UNHRC by the U.S. Human Rights Network, the Identity Project submitted our recommendations for issues related to freedom of movement that we think the UNHRC should take up with the U.S., questions that should be asked by the UNHRC, and recommendations that the UNHRC should make to the US in its concluding observations:

  1. Handling of complaints of violations of U.S. obligations pursuant to the ICCPR
  2. Requirements for government-issued travel documents
  3. Detention, interrogation, and search of travelers (co-signed by the Consumer Travel Alliance)
  4. Permission-based government controls on air and surface travel
  5. Surveillance and monitoring of travelers (co-signed by the Consumer Travel Alliance)

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