17 Mar 2023
International Treaty Obligations: Country Comparison
1. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Australia: Ratified. Legally bound. Must protect and support all people with disabilities, including those impacted by intergenerational toxic exposure.
New Zealand: Ratified. Legally bound. Strong disability rights framework aligned with the CRPD.
Canada: Ratified. Legally bound. Must ensure access to disability support and protection from discrimination.
United States: Not ratified. Signed but never ratified. Not legally bound, but politically accountable and can still be pressured through civil society advocacy.
2. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
Australia: Ratified. Must protect children’s right to health, survival, and development—including from inherited or environmental harm.
New Zealand: Ratified. Strong commitment to child rights obligations.
Canada: Ratified. Must ensure health and development rights for all children, including those affected by toxic exposures.
United States: Not ratified. The only UN member state that hasn’t ratified the CRC. However, U.S. child advocacy can still reference CRC principles.
3. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
Australia: Ratified. Legally bound to protect health, disability rights, and an adequate standard of living.
New Zealand: Ratified. Must ensure the right to health and protect from environmental and occupational harm.
Canada: Ratified. Obligated to provide healthcare and protect social rights, including for affected veterans’ families.
United States: Signed, but not ratified. Not legally bound, but civil society can still use ICESCR as an advocacy standard.
4. Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
All four countries are subject to UPR reviews by the UN Human Rights Council.
You can submit civil society shadow reports for any of them.
The UPR is a strong tool to raise visibility and apply international pressure—even on countries like the U.S. that haven’t ratified some treaties.
5. Optional Protocols (Individual Complaints)
Australia, NZ, Canada: Have ratified some optional protocols (varies by treaty). You can potentially file individual or group complaints for CRPD or ICESCR.
USA: Has not ratified any optional protocols. No individual complaint mechanisms.
6. UN Special Rapporteurs and Thematic Mechanisms
All four countries can be held accountable through:
Special Rapporteur on Toxics
Special Rapporteur on Disability
Special Rapporteur on Health
Committee reviews and reports
You can submit evidence or letters about all four.
Summary
Australia, NZ, Canada: Bound by multiple treaties. Can be held accountable through treaty bodies, UPR, and individual complaints.
USA: More limited legally, but still politically vulnerable through UPR, Special Rapporteurs, and international pressure.