What are General Comments?
In several international human rights treaties, an Article listing a human right also includes a link to a "General Comment" or "General Recommendation." General Comments are authoratative interpretations of human rights and explain countries' obligations to protect these rights. General Comments are instructive to advocates and policymakers because the Comments guide countries in their protection of certain human rights. General Comments are issued by the United Nations commissions that review countries' human rights treaty compliance. When a country reports on its implementation of a human rights treaty, the country must evauate its progress according to the standards specified in the General Comments.
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