International Human Rights Law

UNHCR: the UN Refugee Agency

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was created by the UN General Assembly in 1951. The site offers background information about the work of the UNHCR which includes advocacy, capacity building, fund raising and global needs assessment. There is a section dealing with the groups of people the UNHCR works with including children, women, elderly, disabled and asylem seekers and information on the areas of the world where the UNHRC operates. There are legal documents, statistics and global reports.

Journal of International Human Rights

Website of the Journal of International Human Rights (JIHR), an interdisciplinary journal covering human rights issues and the international law of human rights. The journal has Spring, Summer and Fall issues each year, published by the School of Law at Northwestern University in the United States. Each issue is available free on the site, from volume 1 onwards. The website also gives details of symposia and other events, plus links to human rights resources on the internet.

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.

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.

International Criminal Court

Website of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is based at the Hague in the Netherlands. It role is to promote the rule of law and deal with the most serious international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The founding Rome Statute is available on the website, together with other basic legal texts, information about ongoing cases and annual reports. Background information about the Court is also provided, including details of its history, organisation and management. The site can be viewed in English or French.

International Commission of Jurists

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) seeks to promote international human rights standards through the rule of law. Formed in 1952, its membership is made up of sixty lawyers representing different legal systems from around the world. The ICJ's website gives a history of the organisation, details of its activities and profiles of each Commissioner. The ICJ Legal Resource Centre page provides a searchable database of reports, press releases, legal documents and other publications, which are available in full-text form.

Iraq : Research Guide to Legal Documents, Legal News and International Law

Collection of links to online news stories, and other material, relating to legal issues in Iraq. Resources have been compiled by Vincent Moyer at the University of California, Hastings Law Library. Links to Iraq news stories come from sources around the world along with selected online articles discussing international legal issues in Iraq. There are links to information on inspections and sanctions, human rights issues, the treatment of prisoners and resources dealing with the law of war. Links to various document collections and related research websites are also provided.

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