Act to Implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

This Act is enacted to implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (hereafter the two Covenants), adopted by the United Nations in 1966, and to strengthen our country’s human rights protection regimes.

The Human rights protection provisions in the two Covenants shall have domestic legal effect.

The applications of the two Covenants should refer to their legislative purposes and interpretations issued by the Human Rights Committee.

In exercising their functions and powers, all levels of governmental institutions and agencies should conform to the human rights protection provisions in the two Covenants, avoid violating human rights, protect people from infringement by others, and positively promote the realization of human rights.

All levels of governmental institutions and agencies should take responsibility for preparing, promoting, and implementing human rights protection provisions in the two Covenants within their respective functions in accordance with existing laws and regulations. When multiple functions are involved with different governmental institutions and agencies, they should contact and coordinate with each other to carry out their responsibilities.The Government should cooperate with other national governments, international non-governmental organizations, and human rights institutions to fulfill the promotion and protection of human rights provisions in the two Covenants.

The Government should establish a human rights reporting system in accordance with the two Covenants.

All levels of governmental institutions and agencies should allocate the required budget as a priority to implement the human rights protection provisions in the two Covenants according to their financial status and take steps to implement them.

All levels of governmental institutions and agencies should review the laws, regulations, directions and administrative measures within their functions in accordance with the provisions of the two Covenants. Whenever incompatibility occurs, they should enact new rules, amend, abolish the conflicting rules, or improve the administrative measures within two years after the Act enters into force.

The date of coming into force of the Act shall be decided by the Executive Yuan.