A convention, or covenant, is an agreement between coun- tries that is binding in international law. A United Nations convention in the field of human rights is generally adopted by the General Assembly. There are two major kinds of hu- man rights instruments. Declarations and conventions are normative, in the sense that they set a human rights stand- ard that should be respected by all States. Declarations are often the first step in exploring, analysing and defining a cluster of rights, prior to the decision to draft a legally binding instrument. Conventions are not only normative but also legally binding, in the sense that States that have ratified them must incorporate them in their own laws.The seven core UN Conventions in the field of human rights are: