CLASSIFICATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Human rights can be classified in a number of different ways. Some rights may fall into more than one of the available categories. One of the most widely used classifications…
The Future of Human Rights Law
A person who has read the foregoing account of human rights law may wonder whether all the work that has gone into its creation and implementation has made any difference.…
Nongovernmental Organizations
Nongovernmental organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Doctors without Borders are extremely active at the international level in the areas of human rights, war crimes, and humanitarian aid. Nongovernmental…
Promotion of Human Rights by States
Perhaps the most important role of states in international human rights law is establishing that law by authoring and ratifying human rights treaties. Treaties are generally authored by committees of…
The International Criminal Court
After countries throw off oppressive regimes or emerge from civil war they face a period of (what we now call) transitional justice. During this period they face the question of…
Regional Human Rights Systems
Regional arrangements supplement the UN system by promoting and protecting human rights in particular parts of the world. Three regions—Europe, the Americas, and Africa—have formulated their own declarations and conventions…
Other United Nations Human Rights Agencies
Human Rights treaties are only one part of the UN's human rights program. In fact, the UN has several agencies and courts, independent of its human rights treaties, to address…
International Human Rights Law and Organizations
Since 1948 an elaborate body of international human rights law has developed through state practice, the work of international courts, and multilateral treaty making. Dozens of human rights treaties are…
Universal Human Rights in a World of Diverse Beliefs and Practices
Human rights prescribe universal standards in areas such as security, law enforcement, equality, political participation, and education. The peoples and countries of planet Earth are, however, enormously varied in their…
