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United Nations — Treaty Series • Nations Unies — Recueil des Traités
1976
Covenant, to adopt such legislative or other measures as may be necessary to give ef
fect to the rights recognized in the present Covenant.
3. Each State Party to the present Covenant undertakes:
(a) To ensure that any person whose rights or freedoms as herein recognized are
violated shall have an effective remedy, notwithstanding 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.
Article 3. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to ensure the
equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all civil and political rights set
forth in the present Covenant.
Article 4. 1. In time of public emergency which threatens the life of the na
tion and the existence of which is officially proclaimed, the States Parties to the
present Covenant may take measures derogating from their obligations under the
present Covenant to the extent strictly required by the exigencies of the situation,
provided that such measures are not inconsistent with their other obligations under
international law and do not involve discrimination solely on the ground of race, col
our, sex, language, religion or social origin.
2. No derogation from articles 6, 7, 8 (paragraphs 1 and 2), 11, 15, 16 and 18
may be made under this provision.
3. Any State Party to the present Covenant availing itself of the right of dero
gation shall immediately inform the other States Parties to the present Covenant,
through the intermediary of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, of the pro
visions from which it has derogated and of the reasons by which it was actuated. A
further communication shall be made, through the same intermediary, on the date
on which it terminates such derogation.
Article 5. 1. Nothing in the present Covenant may be interpreted as imply
ing for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or perform any
act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms recognized herein or at
their limitation to a greater extent than is provided for in the present Covenant.
2. There shall be no restriction upon or derogation from any of the fundamen
tal human rights recognized or existing in any State Party to the present Covenant
pursuant to law, conventions, regulations or custom on the pretext that the present
Covenant does not recognize such rights or that it recognizes them to a lesser extent.
PART HI
Article 6. 1. Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right
shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.
2. In countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death
may be imposed only for the most serious crimes in accordance with the law in force
at the time of the commission of the crime and not contrary to the provisions of the
present Covenant and to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
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