human rights

African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights

The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights was established in 1986 to promote human rights in Africa. Its website provides information on its aims, history, membership and activities. It includes access to its full-text charters, legal documents and treaties relating to human rights law in Africa. Also accessible are resolutions, press releases, communiques and country reports. These cover all aspects of human rights and civil liberties.

Turkmenistan: Eurasia.Net

This site forms part of EurasiaNet.org which provides information and analysis about political, economic, environmental and social developments in the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as in Russia, Turkey, and Southwest Asia. It includes news stories, analysis and reports about Turkenistan.Topics covered include politics, economics, elections and security in the region.

East African Community

The East African Community is an intergovernmental regional organisation which seeks to promote social, economic and political cooperation between the African nations of Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya. Its website provides information on the aims of the organisation, its members and current activities. It provides free access to recent press releases, communiques, annual reports, full-text treaties and other documents. Topics covered include free trade and fiscal policies in Africa, economic aid, health policy, democratic and political development.

Burma Lawyers' Council

The Burma Lawyers' Council (BLC) is an independent group of lawyers and legal academics. Its aim is to foster human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Burma by such means as public education campaigns, provision of legal advice and research into the Burmese judicial system. The Council's website provides a selection of legal materials relating to Burma, including the country's Constitutions and its National Convention, reports and articles on the legal situation in Burma and a number of landmark agreements and declarations.

Centre for Human Rights

Website of the Centre for Human Rights which is based in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria. The Centre's activities are detailed on the site and include academic programmes, projects and publications focused on human rights law in Africa. Centre journals include Human Rights Law in Africa and the African Human Rights Law Journal. A comprehensive collection of global human rights documents and African human rights documents are provided along with constitutions and other human rights legislation of individual African countries.

Avocats Sans Frontières

Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) is a Belgium-based international NGO. Its membership mostly consists of lawyers and its aim is to promote justice and the rule of law, and to defend the civil, political and other rights of the most vulnerable people in the world. The group's "Lawyers for Lawyers" project aims to support human rights lawyers whose professional independence is under threat. Press releases, a free newsletter, activity reports and other publications are available on the website, plus details of ASF seminars and training. The site can be viewed in English, French or Dutch.

Open Society Justice Initiative

The Open Society Justice Initiative is a programme of the Open Society Institute, a private foundation established by the philanthropist George Soros in 1993. It is concerned with the promotion of law reform, the protection human rights and the development of international law. The site gives details of current and past activities, covering areas such as national criminal justice reform, international justice, freedom of information and expression, equality and citizenship, anti-corruption and development of legal capacity.

Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights

Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights is an eduational charity which was initiated in 1993. Karamah seeks to highlight how global human rights issues affect muslims, and supports Muslim communities in America and abroad in the pursuit of justice. The website provides details of the projects Karamah is involved with including one on Islamic jurisprudence and a domestic violence initiative.

Judicial System Monitoring Committee

The Judicial System Monitoring Committee (JSMP) was set up in 2001 to improve the judicial and legislative system in Timor-Leste. Activities include court monitoring and the production of reports on the development of the judicial system. The site has news stories relating to Timor-Leste and an archive going back to 2001. There are full-text monitoring reports on the work of the Court of Appeal, the District Court in Dili and on specific cases. Other reports look at the state of the Timor-Leste justice sector, human rights in court administration and the right to appeal.

United States Military Commissions: A Quick Guide to Available Resources

Online resource guide to United States military commissions (a form of military tribunal) compiled by Stephen Young who is a reference librarian at the Kathryn J. DuFour Law Library at the Catholic University of America. The guide provides links and references to primary and secondary materials relating to US military commissions and includes an introduction explaining what military commissions and tribunals are. There is a selection of relevant journal articles and an annotated list of links to Internet sites and finding tools.

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