Page - 364 - in Menschenrechte und Gerechtigkeit als bleibende Aufgaben - Beiträge aus Religion, Theologie, Ethik, Recht und Wirtschaft

© 2020, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783847111658 – ISBN E-Lib: 9783737011655 or causing” amarriedMuslimwoman to leave thematrimonial home, or the custodyofherparentorguardian,forwhichthecourtmayorderherreturn;the woman herself is likewise punishable if she does not have a “reasonable ex- cuse”.33 Brunei has accepted very few international human rights obligations, and accordingly relatively little internationaloversight: Ithasratifiedonly threeUN human rights treaties – the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), as well as the quasi-universally accepted ConventionontheRights of theChild (CRC)–andnoneof the corresponding OptionalProtocols (OPs)allowingfor individualcomplaints tobeexaminedby independentUN treatymonitoringbodies.34 In South-EastAsia, onlyBrunei’s immediate neighbourMalaysia has a similarly low record, having ratified the same treaties as Brunei, with one difference: Brunei signed the Convention against Torture andOtherCruel InhumanorDegradingTreatment orPunish- ment(“CAT”) in2015,andthegovernmentrecentlyaffirmedBrunei’s intention toratify theConvention inthenear future.35 Ithasnotyet ratified theCAT,but with its signature the governmenthas takenontheobligation“to refrain from actswhichwoulddefeattheobjectandpurpose”oftheCAT,accordingtoArticle 18of theViennaConventionontheLawofTreaties.36Thismeansthatbyhaving signedtheCAT,Bruneihasexpressed itswillingness tobeboundby this treaty through ratification and, therefore, should not act contrary to the object and purpose of this treaty,which clearly is to eradicate torture andother formsof ill-treatment. General reservations were made by Brunei at the ratification of all three treaties, each “regarding those provisions of the saidConvention thatmay be contrary to theConstitutionofBruneiDarussalamandto thebeliefs andprin- ciples of Islam, theofficial religionofBruneiDarussalam.”These reservations were–rightly–opposedbynumerousotherStatespartiesonthegrounds that they arevery general and far-reaching,who consider them tobe incompatible withtheobjectandpurposeofthetreaties,andthereforeinadmissibleaccording 32 Ibid, section198. 33 Ibid, section201–202. 34 UNTreatyBodyDatabase –RatificationStatus forBruneiDarussalam, see: https://tbinter net.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/TreatyBodyExternal/Treaty.aspx?CountryID=25&Lang=EN (accessedonMay20th2019). 35 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam, Communication of 7 April 2019, see: http://www.mfa.gov.bn/PublishingImages/Lists/Press%20Room/AllItems/Special%20Proce dures%20(Reply%20letter%20from%20YBDE).pdf (accessedonMay20th2019). 36 ViennaConventionontheLawofTreatiesof23May1969,Art18. ManfredNowak/Anna-MariaSteiner364 Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0