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Libraries, Databases, and
Directories about Human Rights and Humanitarian
Affairs
Free Courses
about Human Rights-- "Take
free human rights online courses offered by the United
Nations (UN), leading NGOs and top universities. Learn how
the United Nations and other human rights organizations
tackle the most pressing human rights issues of our time."
Also provides information about careers in human rights
work.
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre--
From the Norwegian Refugee Council, a fine resource with
coverage of many ongoing situations of conflict-induced
internal displacement in the world. Includes thousands of
documents, hundreds of maps, country profiles, and
analyses of internal displacement at regional and global
levels.
International Human Rights Research
Guide-- Explains and links the main IGOs (especially
the UN), documents, treaties, and more, including by
subject matter, posted by GlobaLex at the Hauser Global Law
School Program, NYU School of Law.
Other Sources about Human Rights
and Humanitarian Affairs
• Amnesty
International-- One of the world's largest and most
famous international voluntary organizations dealing with
human rights and political repression. Their annual "State
of the World's Human Rights" report is available online,
in addition to many other studies, news reports, facts,
and statistics.
• Antislavery
in Domestic Legislation-- From the University of
Nottingham and Monash University, "compiles the
constitutional, criminal, and labour legislation of all
193 UN Member States... to assess the extent to which
slavery and related forms of human exploitation have been
prohibited in domestic law." Features multifaceted world
map of results and country summaries.
• Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor of the U.S. Department of State, with
responsibilities for promoting democracy worldwide,
formulating U.S. human rights policies, and coordinating
policy in human rights-related labor issues. Many official
global and country reports, such as Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices, with texts of yearly reports by the
U.S. Department of State, and related documents.
• Death Penalty
Worldwide-- From the Cornell University Law School,
analysis of the topic worldwide and database "intended to
provide detailed and transparent information regarding the
application of the death penalty in law and in practice in
every country that retains it."
• European
Centre for Minority Issues-- NGO that "advances
majority-minority relations in the wider Europe through
action, research and documentation... supports the
stabilization of areas of ethno-political tension and
conflict, contributes to the strengthening of relevant
legislation and best practices in governance, and enhances
the capacity of civil society actors and governments to
engage with one another in a constructive way." All reports,
working papers, and issue briefs are available online in
full-text. Note the Library, "on inter-ethnic relations,
minority issues and ethnic conflict in Europe."
• European
Court of Human Rights-- "The only truly judicial
organ established by the European Convention on Human
Rights... [ensuring], in the last instance, that
contracting states observe their obligations under the
Convention... All of the Court's judgments, and a
significant selection of decisions and reports, are
published [online] in the HUDOC database."
• Freedom House-- Many online studies ranking countries on measures of freedom, informative backgrounders, and other publications are offered by this nonprofit, nonpartisan U.S. organization dedicated to promoting democracy around the world. Note especially their extensive yearly online report "Freedom in the World."
• Global Terrorism Database-- From
the University of Maryland, "an open-source database
including information on terrorist events around the
world," from 1970 onward. "Unlike many other event
databases, the GTD includes systematic data on domestic
as well as international terrorist incidents that have
occurred during this time period and now includes more
than 190,000 cases." Searchable.
• H-Human-Rights-- "Discussion network
for scholars, policymakers, authors, historians, and other
interested people devoted to the history, analysis,
theory, and practice of human rights," a member of H-Net
Humanities & Social Sciences OnLine.
• Human Rights in China-- An NGO founded by overseas Chinese scientists and scholars in March 1989, that monitors the implementation of international human rights standards in China and carries out human rights advocacy and education among Chinese people inside and outside the country.
• Human
Rights Watch-- Dedicated to protecting the human
rights of people around the world, by investigating and
exposing human rights violations and holding abusers
accountable. Many reports online, including their annual World
Report.
• Inter-American Commission on Human
Rights-- From "one of two bodies in the
inter-American system for the promotion and protection of
human rights," information on the Commission and about
human rights issues in the Western Hemisphere, published
as yearly reports, country reports, and in other formats.
• International Center for Transitional
Justice-- NGO that "assists countries pursuing
accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights
abuse [and] works in societies emerging from repressive
rule or armed conflict, as well as in established
democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse
remain unresolved." Website posts information about the
work of the Center, news, and many analytical
publications, including the annual report.
• International Commission of Jurists--
A leading organization of eminent jurists representative
of the different legal systems of the world and "dedicated
to the primacy, coherence and implementation of
international law and principles that advance human
rights."
• International Committee of the Red Cross--
This site incorporates much on human rights issues,
especially the War and Law and International Humanitarian Law Database
sections, with treaties,
documents, national laws, commentaries, and reports.
• International Federation of Human Rights
Leagues-- Defending human rights since 1922, FIDH is
an activist NGO with national league members around the
world. News and publications online.
• International Labour Organization--
Much information about international labor standards and
conditions. Note the following databases-- NORMLEX: Database of International
Labour Standards and National Laws and the ILOSTAT
labour statistics database from the ILO Department of
Statistics. Labordoc has "references to a wide
range of print and electronic publications, including
journal articles, from countries around the world, on all
aspects of work and sustainable livelihoods, and the
work-related aspects of economic and social development
and human rights."
• International Organization for Migration--
This "leading international organization working with
migrants and governments to provide humane responses to
migration challenges" posts information about the IGO's
structure and work and the full text of many of its
analytical and policy publications and conferences on
internal and international migration issues.
• International Religious Freedom Report--
From the United States Department of State, a report on
the condition of religious freedom in countries around the
world, prepared annually for the U.S. Congress.
• Migration
Policy
Institute-- "Independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit
think tank in Washington, D.C. dedicated to the study of
the movement of people worldwide," with much data and
analysis online, including country profiles. Note their Migration Information Source for
"fresh thought, authoritative data, and global analysis of
international migration and refugee trends... [and] useful
tools, vital data, and essential facts on the movement of
people worldwide."
• Minority Rights Group International--
"Campaigns worldwide with around 130 partners in over 60
countries to ensure that disadvantaged minorities and
indigenous peoples, often the poorest of the poor, can
make their voices heard." Facts, figures, and useful
analysis in the many types of reports, studies and guides,
minority rights law, and the annual State of
the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples report.
• The New Humanitarian-- "The humanitarian
news and analysis service of the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs," with
related news from Africa, the Middle East, Asia,
and Latin America.
• OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights-- Based in Warsaw, Poland and "active throughout the OSCE area in the fields of election observation, democratic development, human rights, tolerance and non-discrimination, and rule of law." Posts many factsheets, newsletters, reports and documents on such issues.
• Refugee Studies Centre--
From Oxford University, "to build knowledge and
understanding of the causes and effects of forced
migration in order to help improve the lives of some of
the world’s most vulnerable people." Posts excellent
studies on that topic.
• Trafficking in Persons Report-- From
the United States Department of State, reports on "severe
forms of trafficking in persons" worldwide, prepared
annually for the U.S. Congress.
• U.N. Women-- The United Nations
Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women's
site describes the entity's work, and that of others, to
promote women's empowerment and gender equality. Posts
news and online publications on women's issues around the
world, including the biennial "Progress of the World's
Women" and the "World Survey on
the Role of Women in Development."
• U.N.
Women Watch is a gateway to UN information and data
on women world-wide and an evolving forum on global
women's issues, to provide up to date information on the
UN's work on behalf of the women of the world, track the
global agenda for improving the status of women, and
constitute an electronic space for exchange of information
and ideas on women's issues.
• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)--
This U.N. agency "protects children and their rights by
providing services and supplies and by helping shape
policy agendas and budgets in the best interests of
children." UNICEF compiles and publishes information on
the situation of children, performance of countries in
caring for children, protection of children's rights, and
its programs for children. Many publications are online
about development as it affects children, such as the
annual The State of the World's Children.
• United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights-- Publications, documents, treaties,
databases, special programs, conferences, links.
• United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees-- Very comprehensive source on the topic
and the UN's role, with access to statistics, maps,
reports, and documents.
• United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs-- "Mobilizes aid, shares information, supports
humanitarian efforts, and advocates for crisis-affected
communities... to rapidly respond and provide
support to those in need." Of special interest is their Relief Web.
• United Nations
"Protect Human Rights" Guide-- Master page for
explanations and links to U.N. agencies and documents on
Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs, and related topics.
• United States Commission on
International Religious Freedom-- "Created by the
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the
status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or
belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and related international instruments, and to
give independent policy recommendations to the President,
the Secretary of State, and the Congress." Site posts
annual reports, regional and country assessments, policy
briefs, and more.