Guarantee Equality for All; Affirm International Law Obligations.

Tunisia should bring its nearly completed draft constitution in line with international human rights standards and the country’s obligations under international law, four human rights organizations said today. The National Constituent Assembly (NCA) will begin voting on the constitution article by article on January 3, 2014.

Among the most urgently needed amendments are a clear affirmation thathuman rights conventions already ratified by Tunisia are binding and have supremacy over domestic law and inclusion of an anti-discrimination provision that articulates the principle of equality between men and women in all its facets.

The article-by-article vote and first complete reading of the draft constitution are the final stage of the constitution-making process, leading to the adoption of a constitution that will shape the future of Tunisia for the next generations. The rules the assembly set for passage require a separate vote on each article, with a simple majority required for passage. The assembly must then approve the entire draft in a separate vote. If the draft fails to pass by a two-thirds majority, it will be submitted again for voting with the same two-thirds majority required. If the second attempt fails, it goes next to a national referendum.

Source: www.hrw.org