united nations

Human rights by country

Guide to human rights in UN member states, on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Human rights documents and news are provided for each country. The documents include Special Procedures reports, reports of UN Treaty Bodies and information about the status of human rights treaties. The site is in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese.

Convention on the Rights of the Child

This site, focusing on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), forms part of the UNICEF website. There is background information and a full text copy of the Convention along with FAQs and factsheets. UNICEF's report the State of the World's Children is available to download in full text from the site. The 2009 report celebrates 20 years of the Convention and focuses on children's rights in different countries. Case studies and interviews with experts on children's rights are available as videos on the site.

United Nations and the Rule of Law

This site is maintained by the United Nations to provide information and resources regarding its work on maintaining the rule of law. It offers UN press releases and a repository of UN documents including General Assembly resolutions, reports, norms and standards, guidance and training materials. Topics covered include the rule of law at national and international levels, constitution building, transitional justice, informal justice, peace building and international security.

Global Policy Forum

Website of the Global Policy Forum (GPF), an independent policy watchdog that monitors the work of the UN and scrutinizes global policymaking. The site provides analyses of the work of the UN Security Council and social and economic policy at the UN. It also covers globalisation, nations and states, NGOs, UN finance, international justice, Iraq, UN reform, world economic crisis, food and hunger, natural resources and global taxes. Each section breaks down into a number of sub-categories providing access to a extensive collection of articles, reports, news items, statistics and links.

United Nations: Department of Economic and Social Affairs Disability

This part of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs website provides information on the Department's work involving people with disabilities. There is a link to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to information on the work of other UN agencies concerning disabilities. There is guidance on how the Sustainable Development Goals work for disabled people and details of recent events and issues are given.

United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: principles and guidelines

This online version of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: principles and guidelines was published in 2008 and is available on the website of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The purpose of the publication is to provide key guidance for UN personnel serving in the field and to help practitioners understand the fundamental principles underlying contemporary UN peacekeeping operations.

Charter of the United Nations

This site provides free access to the official charter of the United Nations.The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945. The Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the Charter.It sets out the purpose, main organs and role of the United Nations. The website also offers a history of the charter and details about amendments and signatories.

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.

United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law: Historic Archives

Website of the Historic Archives section of the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law. The Library is a free online multimedia resource of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs. The Historic Archives collection focuses on key legal instruments covering a wide range of international law topics including criminal law, disarmament, environmental law, human rights, international economic law, law of outer space and the law of the sea.

United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law: Lecture Series

Website of the Lecture Series section of the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law. The Library is a free online multimedia resource of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs. The Lecture Series is a collection of video lectures given by given by leading international law scholars and practitioners. The lectures are arranged by subject including human rights, cultural heritage, development, international organisations, peace and security, courts and tribunals and the Arctic. A selection of related documents and profiles of the lecturers are also given on the site.

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