States parties are obliged to guarantee the rights in the covenant, on a nondiscriminatory basis, to all individuals on its territory and to take the necessary steps to bring domestic legislation in compliance with the provisions of the covenant.
Reservations intend to limit the degree to which a state has to guarantee a particular right.
The possibility of entering reservations may encourage ratification by states which consider themselves not yet in a position to fully guarantee a particular right. The Human Rights Committee outlines in this General Comment when reservations are considered incompatible with the object and purpose of the covenant, and thus impermissible. The Human Rights Committee has advised states parties to review their reservations in light of this General Comment and to withdraw all reservations which are incompatible with the object and purpose of the covenant.