Can commitment to international human rights law promote human rights when the commitment is not yet legally binding? I argue that treaty signature can be used by non-governmental organizations and other rights actors to mobilize around rights standards and hold states accountable in the lead up to binding treaty ratification. Using the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (CEDAW) as a case, I argue that CEDAW signature can have a positive impact on women’s rights. I find overall support for the argument that, following signature, states are significantly and positively associated with higher women’s rights. The findings hold across numerous robustness checks. Using an illustrative case of CEDAW signature and mobilization in the United States, I demonstrate that activists drew on the treaty following signature in the absence of ratification. The argument and results contribute to the study of international law and women’s rights mobilization, highlighting the importance of signature commitment as a tool for advancing women’s rights in advance of treaty ratification.

中文翻译：

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签署《消除对妇女一切形式歧视公约》和妇女权利：人权条约签署和法律动员

当承诺尚未具有法律约束力时，对国际人权法的承诺能否促进人权？我认为，非政府组织和其他权利行为体可以利用条约签署来围绕权利标准进行动员，并在批准具有约束力的条约之前让各国承担责任。以《联合国消除一切形式歧视公约》（CEDAW）为例，我认为CEDAW的签署可以对妇女权利产生积极影响。我发现总体支持这样的论点：签署后，各州与更高的妇女权利显着且积极地相关。这些发现适用于多次稳健性检查。以美国《消除对妇女歧视公约》签署和动员为例，我证明，活动人士在签署后未经批准的情况下利用了该条约。论点和结果有助于国际法和妇女权利动员的研究，强调了签署承诺作为在条约批准之前促进妇女权利的工具的重要性。