Human rights are set out in many international documents. When a country ratifies a document, it agrees to be bound by the rules in the document and make the document a part of its own laws.

If a country has signed but not ratified a document it means it supports the rules in the document and promises not to commit acts which would defeat the purpose of that document. It can mean the country plans to go through a process in order to ratify the document later.

South Africa has signed some international documents and ratified others. These are some of the most important international human rights documents:

• 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (not legally binding on governments but it has moral and political authority in international communities). South Africa has not signed nor ratified it.
• 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women. South Africa has signed and ratified it.
• 1957 Convention on the Nationality of Married Women. South Africa has signed and ratified it.
• 1966 International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights. South Africa has signed and ratified it.
• 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. South Africa has signed and ratified it.
• 1966 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. South Africa has signed and ratified it.
• 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). South Africa has signed and ratified it.
• 1981 African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. South Africa has signed and ratified it.
• 1984 Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. South African has signed and ratified it.
• 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. South Africa has signed and ratified it.
• 1996 International Labour Organisation Conventions: Convention Concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour, Convention Concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour, Convention Concerning Discrimination in Respect of Employment Occupation. South Africa has signed and ratified these.
• Rome Statute on the international Criminal Court has been signed and ratified.