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The UN Centre for Human Rights sees it as fundamental to secure the protection of human rights under the rule of law, that is having a strong Constitution, which, as the highest law of the land, inter alia:
(i) incrporates internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms, as enumerated in the International Bill of Human Rights;
(ii) establishes effective and justiciable remedies at law for violations of those rights;
(iii) empowers an independent judiciary, consistent with the Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary;
(iv) provides for non-discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, and which protects national minorities;
(v) establishes national human rights institutions, such as an office of the ombudsman or an independent human rights commission, consistent with the United Nations Principles relating to the status of national institutions;
(vi) provides for the applicability of international human rights treaty obligations in domestic law;
Taken together, these essential elements should provide truly for a powerful Constitution as a framework to serve and entrench the rule of law in France and thereby secure the effective enjoyment of human rights and democracy.
Among its Core Documents (HRI/CORE/1/Add.17/Rev.1), France states: "Rights guaranteed by the Constitution: The preambule of the Constitution of October 4, 1958 reaffirms the attachment of the French people to the Declaration of Man and Citizen Rights of 1789, confirmed and completed by the preamble of the Constitution of 1946. All these texts have a constitutional value. The Constitution also asserts the citizens'equality and freedom of conscience (art.2), the freedom of association for political purposes (art.4) anc individual security (art.66) .
The gap is obvious and must be filled up!
The French people shall be grateful for your support to have France in full compliance with the Universal Pact and join our campaign to that effect.
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