human rights

Trial International

Trial International is an organisation, based in Switzerland, whose aim is to "fight against impunity for the perpetrators accomplices and instigators of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of torture." Trial International are involved with cases concerning these types of crimes and there is background information and news stories relating to these cases. The organisation's reports can be downloaded in full and there are profiles of the countries Trial International works with. The site is available in English and French.

Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights at Geneva University carries out research and training on international law relating to armed conflict. Its website includes information about courses and specialised training at the Academy, outlines of current and completed research projects and details of publications. It also provides a series of research papers. There are links to the Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts Project website and to the Journal of International Criminal Justice, which is hosted at the Academy. The site can be viewed in French and English.

Creation and First Trials of the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal

Briefing paper on the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal (SICT) produced by the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) in the United States and made freely available on the ICTJ website. The paper was published in October 2005 and provides background information on the establishment of the tribunal and on the crimes of the former Iraqi regime being tried by the court. There are also sections covering the jurisdiction of the tribunal, the procedures governing trials, the composition of the court and its administration.

Lincoln and the Law

Online guide providing access to legal materials relating to Abraham Lincoln and his involvement with the law. The guide is made freely available by the Law Library of Congress as one of their series of Current Legal Topics. The first section covers his role as an Illinois lawyer and includes digitised versions of books about Abraham Lincoln, lectures and minutes of meetings of the Law Association of Philadelphia.

Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau

Official website of the Hong Kong Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the government body with responsibility for overseeing the implementation of Hong Kong's Basic Law and for promoting closer ties and cooperation with mainland China. The site offers guidance, documentation and related links to topical issues such as the Sino-British Joint Declaration, human rights, constitutional developments and the Basic Law. Legislative Council papers are available, along with press releases, speeches and links to UN documents.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

This site provides historical information and documentation on the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is a joint digitisation project of the UN's Dag Hammarskjöld Library and the Library of the UN Office at Geneva. The site has details of meetings which took place between 1946 and 1948, including meeting records and reports. Documents can be downloaded in English and French. Profiles of members of the Drafting Committee are also given.

Global Database on the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

Website of the Global Database on the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, a Joint project between the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement and the Institute for the Study of International Migration in the United States. The site provides FAQs and background on internal displacement, historical information on the Guiding Principles and legal annotations to the Guiding Principles. The full text of the Guiding Principles can be viewed online in PDF.

Global Network Initiative

Website of the Global Network Initiative, a coalition of ICT companies, human rights organisations, academics, investors and technology leaders whose purpose is to protect and advance freedom of expression and privacy in the ICT sector. The site has documents describing the Initiativeãs principles (based on existing international laws) and providing guidance for ICT companies on putting these principles into practice. A selection of FAQs provides further information on the Initiative and its work.

International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists

Website of the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (IAJLJ) a membership organisation made up of lawyers, judges, judicial officers and academic jurists in more than 50 countries. The IAJLJ is concerned with human rights issues and in particular issues affecting Jewish people and works to "combat racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial and negation of the State of Israel.÷ The site gives information about the organisation and its officers, details of events and provides access to IAJLJ policy statements.

Forced evictions and disability rights in Africa

Online article looking at forced evictions and disability rights in Africa written by Buhle Angelo Dube who is a lecturer at the University of Swaziland's Law Department. The article was published in 2008 (and updated in 2023 by Sibusiso Nhlabatsi) on the Globalex website and made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School Program at the New York University School of Law. The first section explains the background to forced evictions and their impact in Africa and focuses on this practice in Ghana, Swaziland and Botswana.

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