New York, 6 October 1999
Objectives
The objective of the Optional Protocol is to allow individuals or groups
of individuals who have exhausted national remedies to petition the Committee
directly about alleged violations of the Convention by their Governments.
The Optional Protocol also permits the Committee to conduct inquiries into
grave or systematic violations of the Convention in countries that are
parties to the Convention and to the Optional Protocol.
Key Provisions
States parties to the Optional Protocol undertake to make the Convention
and the Protocol widely known and to facilitate access to information about
the views and recommendations of the Committee. They are also required
to take all appropriate measures to ensure that individuals under their
jurisdiction are not subjected to ill-treatment or intimidation when they
take advantage of the Protocol's procedure or provide information associated
with these procedures. States which ratify or accede to the Optional Protocol
may not enter reservations to its terms, but they are able to opt-out of
the inquiry procedure.