Library guides: Law: International human rights law

Universal declaration of human rights

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, it set out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.
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To cite this according to AGLC4:
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, GA Res 217A (III), UNGAOR, UN Doc A/810 (10 December 1948).

Key database resources

Oxford Public International Law
A comprehensive single location providing integrated access across Oxford's international law services. Includes the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Oxford Oxford Reports on International Law and Oxford Scholarly Authorities on International Law.
Oxford Reports on International Law
Covers public international case law, reporting on international courts, domestic courts and ad hoc tribunals. Case reports contain the full text of each decision, headnote, as well as analytical commentary and English translations of a number of key non-English decisions.
HeinOnline
Large image based legal research database. Includes full text law journals, US statutory materials, US supreme court reports, and state and federal case law coverage.

UN OHCHR Juris Database
United Nations, Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights database. It facilitates access to decisions on individual complaints on human rights violations.
Human Rights in WordLII (WorldLII)
The Human rights WordLII category shows every resource on WorldLII that is to do with human rights. It includes courts and case law, NGO's, reports and research, UN activities and treaties.

International resources

United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Home page of UN Office of Human Rights Commissioner. Contains links to issues by country, key instruments and regulatory bodies, and other useful information.
Human Rights Council
An intergovernmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and making recommendations on them.
UN Treaty body
You will find the following types of documentation in the Treaty Bodies area of the website:
- Country Visits by thematic special procedure
- State invitations
- Dialogue with State
- Report to HR Council
- Communications
- Allegations of violations
- Appeals & letters to States
- Reports to Human Rights Council of communications sent and the responses received at each regular session
UN Treaty body database
The UN Treaty Body Database holds all the documents produced by the treaty bodies. Searches can be limited by state/entity or geographic region, committee, document type, UN symbol, and date. The Universal Human Rights Index 'provides easy access to country-specific human rights information emanating from international human rights mechanisms in the United Nations system: The Treaty Bodies, the Special Procedures and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).'
RefWorld
Although it focuses on refugee and asylum law, this UN database also includes materials that address other human rights topics. Search or browse for international legal instruments (treaties), national laws, country reports, and case law from international tribunals and national courts. For greater precision, use the Advanced Search.
Other UN links and resources
See the United Nations section on the International and foreign law page.
World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index
The World Justice Project® (WJP) is an independent, multidisciplinary organisation working to create knowledge, build awareness, and stimulate action to advance the rule of law worldwide.

Regional resources

Africa

African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Human Rights
Established by the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. It came into force on 21 October 1986, after its adoption in Nairobi (Kenya) in 1981 by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the organisation of African Unity (OAU).
African human rights Case-Law Analyzer
The African human rights case-law analyzer (the CLA) was conceived as a solution to the challenges to accessing legal resources (case-law and legislation) in the African human rights system (AHRS).
The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights
A continental court established by African countries to ensure the protection of human and peoples’ rights in Africa. It complements and reinforces the functions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Europe

European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights is an international court set up in 1959. See factsheets for recent case precedents on topics and key cases for key cases by year.
Council of Europe - European Convention on Human Rights
The first Council of Europe’s convention and the cornerstone of all its activities. It was adopted in 1950 and entered into force in 1953. Its ratification is a prerequisite for joining the Organisation.
HUDOC Database
Provides access to the case-law of the Court (Grand Chamber, Chamber and Committee judgments and decisions*, communicated cases, advisory opinions and legal summaries from the Case-Law Information Note), the European Commission of Human Rights (decisions and reports) and the Committee of Ministers (resolutions).
User manual and video tutorials available.
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*Committee decisions appeared on HUDOC only as of April 2010. Decisions concerning single judge cases are not published. Commission decisions are only published from 1960 onwards.
ECHR Knowledge Sharing platform
Shares Convention case-law knowledge, complementing the existing information tools such as HUDOC.
It summarises cases and provides guides and key cases by article and theme.
CODICES Database - Venice Commission
This database by the Venice Commission contains the full text of over 10,000 judgments from over 100 courts. In addition to the cases, CODICES also contains the laws on constitutional courts and their equivalents, the constitutions of most of the Venice Commission Member and Observer States as well as other information.
EUR-Lex
The European Union official website database containing documentation, national and EU case law.

Inter-America

Website of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR)
The Inter-American Court works with the Inter-American Commission to uphold and promote basic rights and freedoms. The website has a Digest and search engines.
IUS-LAT
Case law database of decisions from the Constitutional Courts and Tribunals in Latin America and by the Inter-American System of Human Rights.
SUMA - The IAHRS online (CEJIL)
SUMMA / The IAHRS online is a free and open access online database that provides users with a complete overview of cases heard by the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights.

International human rights law research guides

Researching International Human Rights (GlobaLex - New York University School of Law)
This guide explains the procedures of the major international human rights systems because it is procedures that create the need to record or communicate.
The European Human Rights System (GlobaLex)
This guide is intended primarily for researchers who need a general overview of the European human rights system.
Researching the Inter-American System of Human Rights (GlobaLex)
This guide gives you a basic understanding of the Inter-American System of Human Rights and is a starting point for in-depth research.
Human rights research library guide (United Nations Library)
UN human rights research guide by the UN library.
Library Research Guides: Human Rights (OHCHR Library)
This link takes you to 15 guides on different human rights topics.
Human Rights Law Research Guide (Georgetown law library)
This guide will lead researchers through primary materials and introduce important secondary sources. While general human rights sources are covered in the guide, special attention is paid to resources that specifically address international and women's human rights.

Law

Other human rights guides

Universal declaration of human rights

Key database resources

International resources

Regional resources

Africa

Europe

Inter-America

International human rights law research guides

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