1136 Results
Quotes
Quotes based on international documents, law, and treaties- "To vote and be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the voter."
- "Everyone shall have the right and opportunity and in the state of which he is a citizen (b) to vote and to be elected at elections held on the basis of universal and equal suffrage by secret ballot, that guarantees the free expression of the will of the voters."
- "The High Contracting Parties undertake to hold free elections at reasonable intervals by secret ballot, under conditions which will ensure the free expression of the opinion of the people in the choice of the legislature."
- "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures."
- "The participating States declare that the will of the people, freely and fairly expressed through periodic and genuine elections, is the basis of the authority and legitimacy of all government."
- "Every citizen shall enjoy the following rights: b. to vote and to be elected in genuine periodic elections, which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and by secret ballot that guarantees the free expression of the will of the voters."
- "State Parties shall implement this Charter in accordance with the following principles: 4. Holding of regular, transparent, free and fair elections."
- "At the beginning of the new century and millennium, we reaffirm our commitment to the promotion of democracy and its core values in our respective countries. In particular, we undertake to work with renewed determination to enforce the inalienable right of the individual to participate by means of free, credible and democratic political processes in periodically electing their leaders for a fixed term of office."
- "The Parties hereto proceed from the assumption that elections of the elective bodies of state power, local self-governments, other bodies of people’s (national) representation, elective officials are compulsory and they are carried out in terms fixed by the constitutions and laws."
- "At the very least, elections must be held often enough to ensure that governmental authority continues to reflect the Will of the People, which…is the basis of governmental legitimacy."
- "Regular elections constitute a key element of the democratization process and therefore, are essential ingredients for good governance, the rule of law, the maintenance and promotion of peace, security, stability and development."
- "To ensure that the will of the people serves as the basis of the authority of government, the participating States will (7.1) hold elections at reasonable intervals, as established by law."
- "All the elections shall be organized on the dates or at periods fixed by the Constitution or the electoral laws."
- "Elections must not only be regular, but they must also be held at reasonable intervals. In most constitutions, elections are held from between 2 to 5 years."
- "While no particular schedule of periodicity is set by the instruments, general limitations on discretion are discernible. At the very least, elections must be held often enough to ensure that governmental authority continues to reflect the will of the people, which, as already noted, is the basis of governmental authority."
- "The requirement that elections be held periodically is expressly stated in both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 21, para. 3) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (art. 25b). The importance of this provision should not be minimized. Once-only elections (for instance, at the time of the country's gaining independence, or of its transition from an authoritarian regime) will not suffice for international human rights purposes. Rather, this provision makes clear the requirement of a sustained democratic order, continually answerable to the will of the people. (72) While no particular schedule of periodicity is set by the instruments, general limitations on discretion are discernible. At the very least, elections must be held often enough to ensure that governmental authority continues to reflect the will of the people, which, as already noted, is the basis of governmental legitimacy."
- "Elections must be held at regular intervals; a legislative assembly's term of office must not exceed five years."
- "Attention should also be given to the appropriate time interval between calling and setting elections, so that parties and candidates have sufficient time to prepare for elections, particularly for communicating political messages to the electorate."
- "All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination."
- "All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law."
- "Each State Party to the present covenant undertakes : (a) to ensure that any person whose rights or freedoms are herein recognized as violated shall have an effective remedy, notwithstanding that the violation has been committed by persons acting in an official capacity."
- "States Parties shall accord to women equality with men before the law."
- "In compliance with the fundamental obligations laid down in article 2 of this Convention, States Parties undertake to prohibit and to eliminate racial discrimination in all its forms and to guarantee the right of everyone, without distinction as to race, color, or national or ethnic origin, to equality before the law, notably in the enjoyment of the following rights: (a) The right to equal treatment before the tribunals and all other organs administering justice"
- "Migrant workers and their families shall have the right to equality with nationals of the State concerned before the courts and tribunals. In the determination of any criminal charge against them or their rights and obligations in a suit of law, they shall be entitled to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law."
- "States Parties recognize that all persons are equal before and under the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law."
- "States Parties reaffirm that persons with disabilities have the right to recognition everywhere as persons before the law."
- "Every person shall have the right of access to public property and services in strict equality of all persons before the law."
- "All peoples shall be equal; they shall enjoy the same respect and shall have the same rights. Nothing shall justify the domination of a people by another."
- "All persons are equal before the law. Consequently, they are entitled, without discrimination, to equal protection of the law."
- "All shall be equal before the law and shall be entitled, without any discrimination, to equal protection before the law."
- "Women and men are equal before the law and shall have the right to equal protection and benefit of the law."
- "While article 2 limits the scope of the rights to be protected against discrimination to those provided for in the Covenant, article 26 does not specify such limitations. That is to say, article 26 provides that all persons are equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection of the law without discrimination, and that the law shall guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination on any of the enumerated grounds. In the view of the Committee, article 26 does not merely duplicate the guarantee already provided for in article 2 but provides in itself an autonomous right. It prohibits discrimination in law or in fact in any field regulated and protected by public authorities. Article 26 is therefore concerned with the obligations imposed on States parties in regard to their legislation and the application thereof. Thus, when legislation is adopted by a State party, it must comply with the requirement of article 26 that its content should not be discriminatory. In other words, the application of the principle of non-discrimination contained in article 26 is not limited to those rights which are provided for in the Covenant."
- "Procedural laws or their application that make distinctions based on any of the criteria listed in article 2, paragraph 1 or article 26, or disregard the equal right of men and women, in accordance with article 3, to the enjoyment of the guarantees set forth in article 14 of the Covenant, not only violate the requirement of paragraph 1 of this provision that "all persons shall be equal before the courts and tribunals," but may also amount to discrimination."
- "The right to equality before the courts and tribunals and to a fair trial is a key element of human rights protection and serves as a procedural means to safeguard the rule of law."
- "[T]he positive obligations on States Parties to ensure Covenant rights will only be fully discharged if individuals are protected by the State, not just against violations of Covenant rights by its agents, but also against acts committed by private persons or entities that would impair the enjoyment of Covenant rights in so far as they are amenable to application between private persons and entities. There may be circumstances in which a failure to ensure Covenant rights as required by article 2 would give rise to violations by States Parties of those rights, as a result of States Parties' permitting or failing to take appropriate measures or to exercise due diligence to prevent, punish, investigate or redress the harm caused by such acts by private persons or entities."
- "Every human being has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law."
- "State Parties shall protect the right to equality before the law and equal protection by the law as a fundamental precondition for a just and democratic society."
- "Everyone is equal before the law."
- "At the beginning of the new century and millennium, we reaffirm our commitment to the promotion of democracy and its core values in our respective countries. In particular, we undertake to work with renewed determination to enforce the equality of all citizens before the law and the liberty of the individual."
- "We look forward to faster progress towards the return of refugees and displaced persons and the implementation of relevant international standards, particularly those related to equal treatment without regard to ethnicity, freedom of the media, and free and fair elections."
- "Every person who has the right of suffrage must be allowed to exercise his/her suffrage right in a nondiscriminatory manner on the basis of equal treatment before the law."
- "The framework also must provide requirements for election officials and law enforcement personnel to honor equal protection of the law and provide effective remedies in securing proper election campaign conditions."
- "In compliance with the fundamental obligations laid out in article 2 of this Convention, States Parties undertake to prohibit and to eliminate racial discrimination in all its forms and to guarantee the right of everyone…the right of access to any place or service intended for use by the general public."
- "To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas."
- "States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life of the country and, in particular, shall ensure women, on equal terms with men, the right: (a) to vote in all elections and public referenda and to be eligible for election to all publicly elected bodies; (b) to participate in the formulation of government policy and the implementation thereof and to hold public office and perform all public functions at all levels of government; (c) to participate in non-governmental organizations and associations concerned with the public and political life of the country."
- "States Parties recognize that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple discrimination, and in this regard shall take measures to ensure the full and equal enjoyment by them of all human rights and fundamental freedoms."
- "Each State Party to the present covenant undertakes : (a) to ensure that any person whose rights or freedoms are herein recognized as violated shall have an effective remedy, not withstanding that the violation has been committed by persons acting in an official capacity; (b) to ensure that any person claiming such a remedy shall have his right thereto determined by competent judicial, administrative or legislative authorities, or by any other competent authority provided for by the legal system of the State, and to develop the possibilities of judicial remedy; (c) to ensure that the competent authorities shall enforce such remedies when granted."
- "States Parties shall assure to everyone within their jurisdiction effective protection and remedies, through the competent national tribunals and other State institutions, against any acts of racial discrimination which violate his human rights and fundamental freedoms contrary to this convention, as well as the right to seek from such tribunals just and adequate reparation or satisfaction for any damage suffered as a result of such discrimination."
- "States Parties condemn discrimination against women in all its forms, agree to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating discrimination against women and, to this end, undertake…To Establish legal protection of the rights of women on an equal basis with men and to ensure through competent national tribunals and other public institutions the effective protection of women against any act of discrimination."
- "States Parties shall undertake to: a) provide for appropriate remedies to any woman whose rights or freedoms, as herein recognised, have been violated; b) ensure that such remedies are determined by competent judicial, administrative or legislative authorities, or by any other competent authority provided for by law."