The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) on 16 December 1966. The so-called UN Covenant II guarantees the classical civil rights and liberties, that is, rights to resist violations by the state.

Examples of rights included in UN Covenant II:

• protection of body and life: right to life, prohibition of torture, prohibition of genocide
• prohibition of discrimination based on race, sex, language, religion, political opinion, property, birth or other status
• prohibition of slavery and forced labour and of arbitrary arrest; respect for the dignity of persons in prison
• rights under procedural law
• freedom of expression, religion and association
• political rights: right to vote and to stand for political office, access on general terms of equality to public office

A Human Rights Committee monitors implementation in the states parties. UN Covenant II also makes provision for states parties to submit reports, but this is optional. States parties to the Covenant can declare that they recognize the competence of the Human Rights Committee.

There are two Optional Protocols to the UN Covenant II:

• The First Optional Protocol regulates the procedure for complaints by individuals.
• The Second Optional Protocol aims at the abolition of the death penalty.

There are 162 states parties to the UN Covenant II. Switzerland ratified UN Covenant II on 8 June 1992 and has both recognized the procedure for complaints by states and ratified the Second Optional Protocol.