International Human Rights


Book Description

International Human Rights: Problems of Law, Policy, and Practice, Seventh Edition by Hurst Hannum, S. James Anaya, Dinah Shelton, and Rosa Celorio is a student-friendly coursebook that surveys the foundational features and diverse components of the international human rights system, while highlighting human rights issues of pressing concern, including racial discrimination, violence against women, the struggles of indigenous peoples, armed conflicts, lack of access to healthcare and other basic necessities, environmental degradation, and climate change, among others. This coursebook introduces students to the established and developing international law on human rights. Its pages navigate a wide range of substantive norms; procedural rules; and national, regional, and global institutions whose mandate is to promote and monitor compliance with internationally-recognized human rights. The book discusses a range of contemporary human rights challenges, including racial discrimination; violence against women; the struggles of indigenous peoples; armed conflict; threats to free speech, social protest, the defense of human rights; lack of access to health care, and other basic necessities; and environmental degradation and climate change, among others. This book is artfully organized around the foundational features and diverse components of the international human rights system at both the global and regional levels. Distinct problems related to human rights are introduced to illustrate the real issues that face human rights lawyers and how those issues might be addressed through international (and domestic) processes involving internationally-recognized human rights norms. Balancing practical considerations and theory, this outstanding authorship team delivers a comprehensive text that examines historical underpinnings and contemporary considerations related to human rights efforts across the globe. New to the Seventh Edition: New or updated examination of a range of human rights issues, including racial discrimination and police violence; discrimination and violence against women and LGBTI persons; threats to indigenous peoples; undermining of rights of political participation; the human rights impacts of environmental degradation and climate change; human rights in the digital space; among others. Discussion of the formidable impacts on international law and human rights of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that began in early 2022. Exposition of new human rights treaties, declarations, and decisions of judicial and other human rights bodies. Discussion of new developments regarding human rights institutions and international procedures to advance human rights. Updates on United States case law on the judicial enforcement of international human rights norms. This edition of the book is substantially reduced in volume from prior editions, such that it is better designed for use in a one-semester, three-hour course or seminar at the law school or university law. Professors and students will benefit from: Emphasis on practical issues that influence the application, implementation, and development of human rights law. Problem-oriented focus with the goal to motivate students to think about concrete issues and the application of human rights law to the real world. Discussion of current issues in human rights today. Discussion of not only global but also regional treaties, mechanisms, institutions, and procedures related to human rights. Comprehensive coverage that highlights substantive discussion of human rights problems around the world. Presentations of differing views on the theory and practice of human rights. Discussion of the theoretical foundations of human rights, cultural relativism, and sovereignty. Examination of historical developments in human rights as well as modern issues and conflicts. Thoroughly updated text that includes new documents and jurisprudence, as well as recent scholarship. Exposition of the interrelationship between human rights and international humanitarian law and international criminal law. Updated examination of the domestic enforcement of international human rights law.




Legalization of International Law and Politics


Book Description

This book provides an expanded conceptualization of legalization that focuses on implementation of obligation, precision, and delegation at the international and domestic levels of politics. By adding domestic politics and the actors to the international level of analysis, the authors add the insights of Kenneth Waltz, Graham Allison, and Louis Henkin to understand why most international law is developed and observed most of the time. However, the authors argue that law-breaking and law-distorting occurs as a part of negative legalization. Consequently, the book offers a framework for understanding how international law both produces and undermines order and justice. The authors also draw from realist, liberal, constructivist, cosmopolitan and critical theories to analyse how legalization can both build and/or undermine consensus, which results in either positive or negative legalization of international law. The authors argue that legalization is a process over time and not just a snapshot in time.




Individual Responsibility in International Law for Serious Human Rights Violations


Book Description

What rules of international law make the individual, even a Head of State, responsible for perpetrating serious human rights violations, such as war crimes, torture or genocide? This question is becoming more critical in our increasingly interdependent world, and the recent invasion of Kuwait and the brutalization of its people by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has heated up the debate even further. The author argues that a new rule of international law stipulating individual responsibility for all serious human rights violations is currently emerging. To show how this is coming about, he explores relevant norms in classic laws of war, international humanitarian law and modern international human rights law and surveys patterns in their implementation. He then takes account of codification efforts of the International Law Commission, the changing position of the individual in international law, and other important developments in the context of general international law as an evolving system.




The Law and Process of the U.N. Human Rights Committee


Book Description

Volume 26 in the Procedural Aspects of International Law Monograph Series The Law and Process of the U.N. Human Rights Committee focuses attention how the Committee functions as a decision-making body and brings to light troubling flaws in the Committee’s operations that may undermine its ability to induce compliance. Published under the auspices of the Procedural Aspects of International Law Institute (PAIL). For more information about PAIL please go to Pail-Institute.org. Published under the Transnational Publishers imprint.




Rescuing Human Rights


Book Description

Focuses on understanding human rights as they really are and their proper role in international affairs.




The Limits of International Law


Book Description

International law is much debated and discussed, but poorly understood. Does international law matter, or do states regularly violate it with impunity? If international law is of no importance, then why do states devote so much energy to negotiating treaties and providing legal defenses for their actions? In turn, if international law does matter, why does it reflect the interests of powerful states, why does it change so often, and why are violations of international law usually not punished? In this book, Jack Goldsmith and Eric Posner argue that international law matters but that it is less powerful and less significant than public officials, legal experts, and the media believe. International law, they contend, is simply a product of states pursuing their interests on the international stage. It does not pull states towards compliance contrary to their interests, and the possibilities for what it can achieve are limited. It follows that many global problems are simply unsolvable. The book has important implications for debates about the role of international law in the foreign policy of the United States and other nations. The authors see international law as an instrument for advancing national policy, but one that is precarious and delicate, constantly changing in unpredictable ways based on non-legal changes in international politics. They believe that efforts to replace international politics with international law rest on unjustified optimism about international law's past accomplishments and present capacities.




Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights


Book Description

"This publication contains the 'Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework', which were developed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. The Special Representative annexed the Guiding Principles to his final report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/17/31), which also includes an introduction to the Guiding Principles and an overview of the process that led to their development. The Human Rights Council endorsed the Guiding Principles in its resolution 17/4 of 16 June 2011."--P. iv.




The Lawful Rights of Mankind


Book Description

Commentary on the international law of human rights - covers civil rights, economic and social rights, right to work, freedom of thought, cultural rights, freedom of association, etc; outlines the historical background; includes texts of treatys and judicial decisions. References.




Failing to Protect


Book Description

BL Explains why the respect in which the UN is held is not matched by admiration for its practical attempts to safeguard human rights.