There are numerous guides explaining how to research the databases and collections of organisations devoted to human rights. Guides are produced by librarians and experts in locating authoritative and legitimate sites of key human rights organisations, and can be a useful starting point for research. They provide an organised approach to various aspects of Human Rights, describe useful websites, and have links so you can follow a line of research.
UN Documentation Research Guides Guides for many subjects (e.g. Human Rights, International Law), major UN organs (General Assembly, Security Council etc.), document types etc.
This subject guide provides links to articles, e-books, databases, websites and treaties that are related to the topics in the Undergraduate Certificate Programme. Many links are directly to authenticated and legitimate websites. Other links are to the databases and e-resources provided by the Kant Kaw Taw Library (kantkawtaw-library.org) — you will need to be logged in to the library website as a member to access these materials. Select the menu headed 'Collections' to locate lists of e-resources and databases.
The Human Rights Pathfinder on HeinOnline Index of law journal articles on a range of Human Rights topics — a useful browsing tool. Subtopics include Freedom of Assembly, Association, Information, Movement, Religion, the Press, and rights of Privacy, Property and to be Heard.
Oxford Reports on International Law (ORIL) Via OUP on the KKT site. The International Human Rights Law module (opil.ouplaw.com/page/IHRL) covers decisions from global and regional courts, including the ECHR, UN treaty bodies, the Inter-American system and the African Charter.
vLex database collection of legal materials Via vLex on the KKT site. Articles, books, caselaw and legislation across several jurisdictions; this link runs the general search 'human rights'. Options on the left narrow by type of material or country; an advanced search is also available.
HeinOnline journals on Human Rights Access to key international journals and articles on Human Rights issues. Best used by searching a title or author, rather than browsing.
Universal Human Rights Index Facilitates access to recommendations issued by the UN Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures, and the Universal Periodic Review. Searchable by state, right, body and affected person.
HuriSearch Developed by HURIDOCS to find human rights documents created by human rights organizations, academic institutions, NGOs, intergovernmental organizations, and national human rights institutions.
Human rights conventions and declarations Produced by Dag Hammarskjöld and the Law Library at Uppsala University Library. Guidelines, links and charts to relevant materials.
United Nations Subject Guide to the UDHR Links to documents on the history and drafting process of the Declaration, and highlights of the UN Library Geneva collections — both print and online.
Oxford Reports on International Law (ORIL) Via OUP. Full text of each decision with headnote, analytical commentary and English translations of key non-English decisions — over 5,500 cases. Divided into seven modules: EU Courts; International Trade Law Decisions; Domestic Courts; International Criminal Law; International Human Rights Law; International Investment Claims; and Courts of General Jurisdiction.
Oxford International Organizations (OXIO) Via OUP. A database of annotated documents pertaining to the law of international organizations, including the constitutive treaties of international intergovernmental organizations.
Humanitarian Law Treaty Database Provided by the ICRC. Full-text access to 100 treaties, current status of signatures, ratifications, accessions and successions, and commentaries to the 1949 Geneva Conventions and 1977 Protocols. Accessible by topic, date, or country.
Articles on Research4Life related to ICCPR Via Research4Life. Covers several jurisdictions; search by title, author or document name. Include 'Human Rights' as a key search term; searches can be restricted by date.
Humanitarian Data Exchange An open platform for sharing humanitarian data, with data from over 80 organizations including governments, NGOs and UN agencies.
The ESCR-Net Caselaw Database Positive domestic, regional and international legal decisions regarding economic, social, cultural and environmental rights, with case summaries, litigation strategies, and enforcement efforts.
International Labour Organization Brings together governments, employers and workers to shape labour policy. Reports and data on human trafficking by country and region — use search terms like 'forced labour'.
United Nations and Civil Society UN gateway to information about NGOs and civil society organizations with consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council.
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights The CESCR is the body of 18 independent experts that monitors implementation of the ICESCR, which enshrines rights to adequate food, housing, education, health, social security, water and sanitation, and work.
Sustainable development and climate (Dag Hammarskjöld and the Law Library) Topics include population, development assistance to children, human settlements, crime prevention, family issues, disability, trade and development, women, environment and sustainable development, drug control, statistics, youth, and ageing.
Toolkit on the Right to Water and Sanitation (UN) Access to safe, affordable and reliable drinking water and sanitation services are basic human rights, indispensable to sustaining healthy livelihoods and maintaining people's dignity.
UN Women United Nations agency devoted specifically to Women's issues, including Human Rights.
Women's Rights and Gender main page (UN) Gender equality is at the very heart of human rights and United Nations values; equality and non-discrimination are fundamental principles of the UN Charter.
Women's Studies International Access to women's studies, women's issues, and gender-focused books, chapters, journal articles, dissertations, and reports from throughout the world.
ICERD and CERD: A Guide for Civil Society Actors Produced by the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), Geneva. A detailed guide for practical implementation of the treaties.
OHCHR and the "Faith for Rights" framework Provides space for cross-disciplinary reflection and action on the mutually enriching connections between religions and human rights.
Committee against Torture (CAT) The body of 10 independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention against Torture by its States parties.
Genocide Watch Coordinating organization for the International Campaign to End Genocide, educating the public and policy makers about the causes, processes, and warning signs of genocide.
The Right to a Healthy Environment (UN) A user guide inspired by the historic resolutions adopted by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly in 2021 and 2022, recognizing the universal human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
Business and Human Rights Resource Centre A library of curated information containing over 200,000 pages, increasing daily. For targeted results, use filters based on country, companies, sector, or the human right said to have been infringed.
Access to the judgments of various relevant courts can be found through their websites; several also provide research guides to using the sites.
UN Human Rights Committee Jurisprudence A single source of the human rights recommendations and findings issued by all committees in their work on individual cases. It enables research into the vast body of legal interpretation of international human rights law.
ESCR-Net Caselaw Database Searchable database of positive domestic, regional and international legal decisions regarding economic, social and cultural rights.
EUR-Lex Case Law Cases from the Court of Justice of the European Union. Searchable database including analysis and links to relevant legislation.
European Committee of Social Rights Links to the Reporting System of the European Social Charter, country profiles, and the collected travaux préparatoires from 1953.
African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights Established under a 1998 protocol to the African Charter. Based in Arusha, Tanzania. Adjudicates applications and issues advisory opinions.
Selected International Human Rights Journals. Most are OPEN ACCESS; there is a "PAY to VIEW" badge next to titles which are not. Notes: (1) You can search for individual articles by title or author using Google Scholar (scholar.google.com). (2) Some journals provide a mix of Open Access and Pay-to-View articles; articles are often PDFs. (3) Abstracts are usually free to read even for Pay-to-View articles.
International human rights law is treaty based. These treaties are promulgated by international organisations such as the United Nations and its specialised agencies, the Council of Europe, and other organisations. Locating the necessary instruments is usually the first place to begin research in this area. A good strategy is to begin with the body that promulgated the instrument.
The United Nations Human Rights Treaties (Bayefsky) A searchable database founded in the late 1990s. Retains the historical record and adds self-help links to the UN website for updating information after 2011. Focuses on the historical context of the human rights treaty system.
International Human Rights Instruments
There are nine core international human rights instruments, often supplemented by optional protocols dealing with specific concerns. Each instrument has an established committee of experts to monitor implementation by its State parties:
European Convention on Human Rights Formally the 'Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms', it guarantees core civil and political rights. All 47 member states of the Council of Europe are state parties, but not all have ratified each of its 16 protocols.
Treaty Information Gateway page linking to the official texts in English and French, signature and ratification information, declarations and reservations, preparatory texts, protocols, and more.
Charter of the Organization of American States (1948) Article 5(j) recognizes fundamental rights of the individual without distinction as to race, nationality, creed or sex, but does not define what these fundamental rights are.
American Convention on Human Rights (1969) Chapter II (Articles 3–25) recognizes core civil and political rights. Twenty-three of the 35 OAS member states are currently state parties.
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights Also known as the Banjul Charter (for the capital of Gambia where it was signed), adopted by the OAU in 1981 and entered into force in 1986.
Directory of African Human Rights Instruments The African Charter and its protocols, other African human rights treaties, and related soft law instruments. Click an instrument name for ratification status.
International Human Rights Mechanisms
The numerous human rights conventions under the framework of the United Nations and the regional systems in Africa, the Americas and Europe have led to the creation of a wide range of mechanisms for monitoring compliance with international human rights laws. These links describe and define many mechanisms.
International Human Rights Mechanisms From the UN. Covers: Human Rights Council; Universal Periodic Review; Special Procedures; HRC Mandated Investigations; HRC subsidiary bodies; Treaty Bodies.
How Does Law Protect in War? A handbook by the International Committee of the Red Cross with links to cases and articles in the bibliographies. The Online Casebook supports interactive university teaching of international humanitarian law (IHL), based on contemporary practice.
Library Training
Library provide the trainings which are taken place every second and last Friday of the month.
• How to use the e-resources, HeinOnline, OUPs & JustisOne
