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 [1] and Regional Resources: Africa [2], specifically Rwanda [3]. For information on genocide, please see Genocide Convention at Fifty: Web Links [4]. For more USIP resources see the human rights issue page [5].

• General Resources [6]
• Government Agencies, Non-Governmental and International Organizations [7]
• Selected Documents and Publications [8]

These links complement several Institute Special Reports:

1. U.S. Human Rights Policy: a 20-Year Assessment [9]
2. The Role of the Ambassador in Promoting U.S. Human Rights Policy Abroad [10]
3. U.S. Human Rights Policy toward Latin America [11]
4. U.S. Human Rights Policy toward Africa [12]
5. Advancing Human Rights and Peace in a Complex World [13]
6. Building the Iraqi Special Tribunal: Lessons from Experiences in International Criminal Justice [14].

General Resources

The sites below collect links to other Internet resources in human rights.

• American Society of International Law [15]
  The ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law has a an excellent chapter on human rights [16] , 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 [17]
  The Center's web site features a database [18] of annual, special and sessions reports of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a Human Rights Brief [19] with full text of articles available online, links to other human rights sites, a site map and search engine.
• Derechos Human Rights [20]
  The Derechos organization web site hosts the web presence of human rights organizations, publishes an internet journal [21] jointly with Equipo Nizkor, maintains several mailing lists (including one on human rights in the Americas [22]), contains pages on human rights issues in various regions of the world; the Human Rights in Latin America [23] section is produced by Derechos and Equipo Nizkor.
• Human Rights Internet [24]
  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 [25], a directory of partner organizations [26], and a Human Rights Databank [27]; the latter integrates several databases and other electronic resources on the HRI web site, including an Internet Directory [28] of human rights web sites, a world calendar [29] of events, a Human Rights Education Directory [30] and an a collection of electronic human rights documentation in its E-Doc Centre [31].
• Human Rights Reporting: Primary Web Resources [32]
  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 [33]
  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.
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Government Agencies, Non-Governmental and International Organizations

Amnesty International

• Amnesty International On-line: Human Rights Website [35]
  The web site contains information about the organization, current and previous news releases, documents, case studies, campaigns [36] (includes a page specifically for the Pinochet case [37]) , annual reports and numerous links [38] to related web sites. Also available in some languages other than English.

Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)

• Business for Social Responsibility (BSR): Human Rights Resources [39]
  This section of the BSR web site [40] contains an overview of services, white papers, reports, magazine articles and other resources (some available by subscription only) dealing with human rights.

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) [41]
  The CPJ web site contains regional information and country reports concerning attacks on the press, news archives [42], feature articles, and a newsletter entitled Dangerous Assignments [43].

Human Rights First

• Human Rights First [44]
  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 [45], international refugees [46], Human Rights Defenders [47], U.S. law & security [48], and workers rights [49].

Human Rights Watch

• Human Rights Watch (HRW) [50]
  The HRW web site includes background information about the organization, a current events [51] section, publications, annual reports, information about specific campaigns and links [52] to additional resources.

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) [53]
  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 [54] includes a searchable database [55] 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)

• International Labour Organization (ILO) [56]
  The web site of the ILO contains a section related to the Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights of Work called References to Declaration [57].

Organization of American States

• Organization of American States (OAS): Human Rights [58]
  The web site of the OAS [59], 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) [60] in Washington, D.C. and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights [61] 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 [62], offers general information, press releases, and publications, some in English.

Physicians for Human Rights

• Physicians for Human Rights [63]
  Web site includes a description of the organization, news, a news archive, campaigns, investigations, reports, and links to related web sites.

Speak Truth to Power

• Speak Truth to Power [64]
  USIP Board member Kerry Kennedy's "Speak Truth To Power" is dedicated to the promotion of human rights awareness. A not-for-profit organization that seeks to proactively engage the general public in an ongoing series of issue-related programs and events, bringing human rights activists and their work into contact with ever-increasing audiences. Through the combined power of arts and education, Speak Truth to Power aims not only to inspire, but also to empower individuals and communities to take up the defense of human rights. The web site includes news and resources related to human rights: a timeline; a section on current issues; a short history; a listing of organizations and specific individuals, termed The Defenders, committed to the cause of human rights.

United Nations

• United Nations Homepage [65]
  The UN homepage has links to human rights [66] , humanitarian affairs [67] and international law [68], as well as news, publications, documents, conferences and events, and databases.
• United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) [69]
  The United Nations Human Rights Website from UNHCR includes press releases, statements, documents, treaties, meetings, special reports on specific topics, a chronology of events [70] in human rights, information on international criminal law, a list of international human rights instruments [71] and related links [72].

United States

• National Endowment for Democracy [73]
  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 [74], press releases, links to the grants program [75], numerous links to other web resources and databases on democracy projects and experts.
• U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) [76]
  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 [77] and its strategies [78] for sustainable development. (PDF file requires Adobe® Acrobat® Reader [79] 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) [80]
  "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 [81]
  Archived web site from the U.S. Department of State, covering the period August 5, 1997-January 20, 2001. Includes remarks [82] from Ambassador David Scheffer, a list of atrocity areas, a discussion of atrocity prevention [83], laws, publications and related web sites.
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Selected Documents and Publications

• Amnesty International Report 2004 [84]
  Describes regions and topics covered, with links to regional summaries in the report and regional updates. The Library [85] provides access to previous annual reports, country reports and other publications.
• Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 [86]
  From the Thomas legislative database [87], all bill summary and status information on H.R. 4868/Public Law 99-440.
• Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: 2003 [88]
  U.S. Dept. of State's extensive human rights reports on individual countries. Previous issues [89] are available online from 1993. and 1999 to the present [90].
• Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms [91]
  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 [92]
  Describes the regions and topics covered for 2003, including special issues and campaigns. HRW World Reports from 1989-2003 [93] are also available. Recent publications [94] include updated country, regional and thematic reports and monographs.
• ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights of Work [95]
  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 [96]
  "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 [97] of ratifications (PDF) and declarations and reservations [98]. Signed by the United States Oct. 5, 1977 and ratified June 8, 1992.
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights [99]
  "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 [97] of ratifications (PDF) and declarations and reservations [100]. Signed by the United States on Oct. 5, 1977; not yet ratified.
• The U.S. and the Genocide in Rwanda 1994 [101]
  Sixteen U.S. government documents [102], 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 [103]
  Full text of the declaration adopted and proclaimed on December 10, 1948 by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Updated: March 27, 2009