Human Rights

Kenya Human Rights Commission

The Kenya Human Rights Commission is a non-governmental body established in 1992 to monitor the state of democracy and human rights in Kenya. Its website provides information on the history, purpose and activities of the organisation. It includes access to recent press releases and details of programmes being undertaken. Topics covered include transitional justice, political corruption, the state of democracy in Kenya, human rights abuses and the conduct of elections and referendums.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: US Department of State

These reports are compiled annually by the United States Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. They provide assessments of the current state of human rights as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This covers: individual, civil, political, and worker rights. Topics covered include: summary of human rights legislation, assessments of democracy and womens rights. Reports are available from 1999 onwards.

Commonwealth and International Human Rights Case Law Databases

These two databases are compiled by INTERIGHTS, the International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights, and made freely available on their website. One covers human rights decisions in the courts of Commonwealth countries and the other covers the decisions of international courts and tribunals. The databases can be searched separately or together. There is a summary of each case and some judgments are available in full.

European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT)

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) is a Council of Europe human rights body. Its mandate is to monitor the treatment of detainees and prisoners in its member nations in order to protect and promote their human rights. Its website provides information on the aims of the organisation, its operation and activities. It includes press releases, annual reports and reports on individual nations from 1989 to date.

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights

The Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent institution within the Council of Europe. Its website provides information on the Commissioner's work, including articles, reports, speeches and press releases. The reports include annual surveys of human rights law and legislation in the Council of Europe area, observation reports from individual nations and thematic reports on topics such as the protection of human rights for the Roma, minority ethnic group rights, protection of the rights of children and women and actions against human trafficking.

People and Planet

People and Planet is the largest student network in Britain which campaigns for alleviation of world poverty, better human rights and protecting the environment. Groups are based at universities and colleges and run by students. The site has full details about campaigns and how to get involved. Job vacancies are sometimes listed.

University of Durham Human Rights Centre

Website of the Human Rights Centre at the University of Durham's Department of Law. The site gives details of research projects being undertaken at the Centre. These are focused on the areas of International Human Rights, European Human Rights and domestic law. There are profiles of staff at the Centre along with a list of their publications. The site also provides a link to the Department of Law's Human Rights Act database containing bibliographical references to articles and cases relating to the Human Rights Act 1998. Links to related human rights websites are also given.

International Center for Transitional Justice

The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) is an organisation working with countries where there have been mass atrocities or abuses of human rights. The site outlines the Center's research, training and legal and policy analysis and makes available its reports, briefings and other publications. The organisation has initiatives in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, the Middle East and North Africa. The site is in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.
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