U.S. Human Rights Policy: Web Links
Below are links by topical categories to resources primarily in English providing information on human rights generally and as it relates to U.S. foreign policy. For regional information, please see related links at Regional Resources: Americas and Regional Resources: Africa, specifically Rwanda. For information on genocide, please see Genocide Convention at Fifty: Web Links.
These links complement five Institute Special Reports:
- U.S. Human Rights Policy: a 20-Year Assessment
- The Role of the Ambassador in Promoting U.S. Human Rights Policy Abroad
- U.S. Human Rights Policy toward Latin America
- U.S. Human Rights Policy toward Africa
- Advancing Human Rights and Peace in a Complex World
- Building the Iraqi Special Tribunal: Lessons from Experiences in International Criminal Justice.
General Resources
The sites below collect links to other Internet resources in human rights.
- American Society of International
Law
The ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law has
a an excellent chapter on human
rights , covering "general tips for doing research as well as
for locating necessary documents and materials." Formats covered
include CD-ROMs, Internet, online services. Comprehensive coverage
includes discussion of and numerous links on a brief history of
human rights law, bibliographic databases and online catalogs, research
guides and bibliographies, periodical indexes, primary sources,
organizations, reports, lists and newsgroups.
- Center
for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Washington College of Law,
American University
The Center's web site features a database
of annual, special and sessions reports of the Inter-American Commission
on Human Rights, a Human
Rights Brief with full text of articles available online, links
to other human rights sites, a site map and search engine.
- Derechos Human Rights
The Derechos organization web site hosts the web presence of human
rights organizations, publishes an internet
journal jointly with Equipo Nizkor, maintains several mailing
lists (including one on human
rights in the Americas), contains pages on human rights issues
in various regions of the world; the Human
Rights in Latin America section is produced by Derechos and
Equipo Nizkor.
- Human Rights Internet
Based in Ottawa, Human Rights Internet (HRI) provides relevant information
to more than 5,000 organizations involved in human rights. The HRI
web site features publications, a directory of partner organizations, and a Human Rights Databank; the latter integrates several databases and other electronic resources on the HRI web site, including an Internet Directory of human rights web sites, a world calendar of events, a Human Rights Education Directory and an a collection of electronic human rights documentation in its E-Doc Centre.
- Human Rights
Reporting: Primary Web Resources
Extensive set of links prepared by Frederic A. Moritz, former foreign
correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor. Part of
his web site on "American Human Rights Reporting as a Global Watchdog,"
the links cover numerous general resources, organizations, search
tools, regional information and news sources, as well as journalism-related
topics.
- University
of Minnesota Human Rights Library
Well-organized and comprehensive site on human rights, international
law and related topics. Part of the Diana joint project among four
law schools, this site maintains excellent subject and keyword searching
of documents and links to other organizations.
Government Agencies, Non-Governmental and International Organizations
Amnesty International
Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Human Rights First
Human Rights First
Formerly the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (LCHR), the web site for Human Rights First contains information about the organization, media alerts, publications, programs, and focuses on specific areas: international justice, international refugees, Human Rights Defenders, U.S. law & security, and workers rights.
Human Rights Watch
- Human Rights Watch (HRW)
The HRW web site includes background information about the organization, a current events section, publications, annual reports, information about specific campaigns and links to additional resources.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
The ICRC web site describes the ICRC's mission, its operations in various countries, issues and topics, such as land mines. A special section on International Humanitarian Law includes a searchable database of "91 treaties and texts, commentaries on the four Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, an up-to-date list of signatures, ratifications relating to IHL treaties and full text of reservations."
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Organization of American States<
- Organization of American States (OAS): Human Rights
The web site of the OAS, available in English and Spanish, provides background on the OAS, reports and other documents, speeches, press releases, etc. It includes links to other bodies of the OAS: the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington, D.C. and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in San José, Costa Rica which comprise the Inter-American system. The IACHR web site has commission reports and documents, basic documents, press releases, a site map and a site search. The Inter-American Court web site, with a home page in English and Spanish, offers general information, press releases, and publications, some in English.
Physicians for Human Rights
- Physicians for Human Rights
Web site includes a description of the organization, news, a news archive, campaigns, investigations, reports, and links to related web sites.
United Nations
- United Nations Homepage
The UN homepage has links to human
rights , humanitarian affairs
and international law, as well
as news, publications, documents, conferences and events, and databases.
- United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights (UNHCR)
The United Nations Human Rights Website from UNHCR includes press
releases, statements, documents, treaties, meetings, special reports
on specific topics, a chronology
of events in human rights, information on international criminal
law, a list of international
human rights instruments and related
links.
United States
- National Endowment for Democracy
A "private, nonprofit, grant-making organization created in 1983
to strengthen democratic institutions around the world," the web
site includes statements, publications including Journal
of Democracy, press releases, links to the grants
program, numerous links to other web resources and databases
on democracy projects and experts.
- U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID)
USAID, "an independent federal government agency that conducts foreign
assistance and humanitarian aid to advance the political and economic
interests of the United States" outlines, on the web site, its goals
on democracy and its
strategies
for sustainable development. (PDF file requires Adobe®
Acrobat® Reader to view). The web site also includes
links for economic growth, humanitarian assistance, development,
and information on USAID projects in specific countries and regions.
- U.S.
State Department: Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Bureau (DRL)
"One of the four bureaus that comprise the Office of the Under Secretary
for Global Affairs, DRL's wide range of responsibilities include
promoting democracy worldwide, formulating U.S. human rights policies,
and coordinating policy in human rights-related labor issues." The
archived web site includes links to the annual country reports,
the Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad, additional speeches,
statements, testimony and briefings, and other State Department
web sites.
- U.S. Department
of State: Office of the Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues
Archived web site from the U.S. Department of State, covering the
period August 5, 1997-January 20, 2001. Includes remarks
from Ambassador David Scheffer, a list of atrocity areas, a discussion
of atrocity
prevention, laws, publications and related web sites.
Selected Documents and Publications
- Amnesty
International Report 2004
Describes regions and topics covered, with links to regional summaries
in the report and regional updates. The Library
provides access to previous annual reports, country reports and
other publications.
- Comprehensive
Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986
From the Thomas legislative database,
all bill summary and status information on H.R. 4868/Public Law
99-440.
- Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices: 2003
U.S. Dept. of State's extensive human rights reports on individual
countries. Previous
issues are available online from 1993. and 1999 to the present.
- Declaration
on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs
of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms
Full text of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 53/144
of March 8, 1999.
- Human Rights Watch World
Report 2004: Human Rights and Armed Conflict
Describes the regions and topics covered for 2003, including special
issues and campaigns. HRW World Reports from 1989-2003 are also available. Recent
publications include updated country, regional and thematic reports
and monographs.
- ILO
Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights of Work
Text of the declaration adopted by the International Labour Organization
at its 86th session in Geneva, June 1998.
- International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
"Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by
General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966, entry
into force 23 March 1976, in accordance with Article 49." Links to
status
of ratifications (PDF) and declarations and reservations. Signed by the United States Oct. 5, 1977 and ratified
June 8, 1992.
- International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
"Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by
General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966, entry
into force 3 January 1976, in accordance with article 27."Links to
status
of ratifications (PDF) and declarations and reservations. Signed by the United States on Oct. 5, 1977; not
yet ratified.
- The
U.S. and the Genocide in Rwanda 1994
Sixteen U.S.
government documents, declassified under the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) concerning U.S. policy during the genocide in Rwanda,
published August 20, 2001 on the web site of the National Security
Archive at The George Washington University.
- Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
Full text of the declaration adopted and proclaimed on December
10, 1948 by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Updated: November 1, 2004
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