In memory of the horrors of the Second World War, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948 (PDF, 115.52 KB)  . The Declaration is founded on the principle that all human beings possess the same inalienable rights based on their common inherent dignity. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was the starting point for a whole series of international and regional agreements on human rights, including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) of 1950 and the two UN Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) (Covenant I) and on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (Covenant II) of 1966.
Human rights have become an important factor in international politics. Liechtenstein foreign policy considers the protection of human rights a priority and actively contributes to the efforts of the international community to promote human rights. Liechtenstein was represented at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993 and supported the Political Declaration and Program of Action adopted there, in which the delegations of 171 States reiterated the principle that human rights are indivisible and valid worldwide:
“All human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated. […] While the significance of national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be borne in mind, it is the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
(From the Declaration of the World Conference on Human Rights of 1993 in Vienna)
Liechtenstein is a State Party to all the important international human rights agreements  . In addition to the ECHR and the two Covenants mentioned above, Liechtenstein has also ratified four further core instruments of the United Nations: the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) of 1965 , the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) of 1979 , the Convention against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) of 1984 , and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) of 1989 .
Every four years, the UN Human Rights Council created in 2005 conducts a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the human rights situation in all Member States of the UN. This process is conducted in a dialogue with other Member States and includes the input of the State’s civil population. The goals of the UPR include improvement of the human rights situation in general, stronger implementation of human rights obligations, identification of positive developments and challenges in the field of human rights, and mutual support and exchange of experiences among States. The first Universal Periodic Review of the human rights situation in Liechtenstein took place on 5 December 2008. Liechtenstein participated with a high-ranking delegation, headed by then former Foreign Minister Rita Kieber-Beck. States and Non-Governmental-Organisations present at the review agreed that Liechtenstein’s human rights situation is good overall. Liechtenstein’s national report (english (PDF, 509.80 KB)) and the outcome of the review are available at the website of the OHCHR .
The Council of Europe has an important function in the promotion and protection of human rights in Europe. Liechtenstein acceded to the Council of Europe in 1978 and ratified the ECHR in 1982. Other conventions and protocols on human rights have been ratified subsequently, for example the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. In 1999 the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights was established as an independent institution within the Council of Europe. In 2004, the (then) Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Alvaro Gil-Robles, paid an official visit to Liechtenstein and confirmed in his report that Liechtenstein is committed to guaranteeing a high level of respect for human rights. (report of the Commissioner for Human Rights)
If a person in Liechtenstein believes that his or her human rights as laid down in the ECHR have been violated, and if the person’s claim before domestic courts has not been validated, the person can turn to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (further information on this ). There is no such instance within the United Nations system. However, the UN human rights conventions provide, or are developing, the possibility of introducing a right of individual complaint. Persons believing their rights under these UN conventions to be violated can submit a complaint to the committees responsible for monitoring the conventions.
In the case of CERD and CAT, the right of individual complaint may be recognized by means of an optional declaration, in the case of the ICESCR, ICCPR and CEDAW by means of an additional protocol. Liechtenstein has introduced the right of individual complaint under the ICCPR, CEDAW, CAT and CERD.
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