Human Rights

Statutes, treaties, regulations, and court decisions are primary authority, issued by a recognized governmental entity.  Sources for these documents should be official if possible, or highly reputable.

• United Nations Human Rights Committee
• International Court of Justice
• International Criminal Court
• Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
• Inter-American Court of Human Rights
• European Court of Human Rights
• African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights 

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages.
• International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights Recognizing that, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ideal of free human beings enjoying civil and political freedom and freedom from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his civil and political rights, as well as his economic, social and cultural rights,
• International Covenant of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Recognizing that, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ideal of free human beings enjoying freedom from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his economic, social and cultural rights, as well as his civil and political rights.
• American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man All men are born free and equal, in dignity and in rights, and, being endowed by nature with reason and conscience, they should conduct themselves as brothers one to another.
• American Convention on Human Rights Pact of San Jose, Costa Rica  The Organization of American States is the world’s oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C., from October 1889 to April 1890.The Organization uses a four-pronged approach to effectively implement its essential purposes, based on its main pillars: democracy, human rights, security, and development. See other Human Right treaties from the Organization of American States here.
• The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights helped to steer Africa from the age of human wrongs into a new age of human rights. It opened up Africa to supra-national accountability. The Charter sets standards and establishes the groundwork for the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa. Since its adoption 30 years ago, the Charter has formed the basis for individuals to claim rights in an international forum. The Charter also dealt a blow to state sovereignty by emphasising that human rights violations could no longer be swept under the carpet of ‘internal affairs’.
• Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union The Charter strengthens the protection of fundamental rights by making those rights more visible and more explicit for citizens.
• Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms The "European Convention on Human Rights" sets forth a number of fundamental rights and freedoms (right to life, prohibition of torture, prohibition of slavery and forced labour, right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, no punishment without law, right to respect for private and family life, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, right to marry, right to an effective remedy, prohibition of discrimination)
• Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action The World Conference on Human Rights, Considering that the promotion and protection of human rights is a matter of priority for the international community, and that the Conference affords a unique opportunity to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the international human rights system and of the machinery for the protection of human rights, in order to enhance and thus promote a fuller observance of those rights, in a just and balanced manner, Recognizing and affirming that all human rights derive from the dignity and worth inherent in the human person, and that the human person is the central subject of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and consequently should be the principal beneficiary and should participate actively in the realization of these rights and freedoms.
• United Nations General Assembly Resolution of the Human Right to a Clean, healthy, and sustainable environment The right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is “related to other rights and existing international law,” and affirms that its promotion “requires the full implementation” of the multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) “under the principles of international environmental law.”

• HeinOnline: US Treaty Library This library includes all U.S. treaties, whether currently in-force, expired, or not-yet officially published. It includes prominent collections such as the United States Treaties and Other International Agreements set (commonly referred to as the "Blue set"), as well as famous sets from Bevans, Miller, Malloy and others. 

Note that all language above is quoted from the source organization or resource.

• HeinOnline: World Constitutions This database enables legal scholars to research the constitutional and political development of every country in the world. It includes the current constitution for every country in its original language format and an English translation, as well as substantial constitutional histories for all countries. This collection contains links to books on various subjects, including Human Rights
• World Constitutional provisions containing Dignity Rights (created and maintained by Delaware Law School Librarian, Janet Lindenmuth)

• European Court of Human Rights 
• IUSLAT Decisions by Constitutional Courts and Tribunals in LatinAmerica and by the Inter-American System of Human Rights
• Lexis: In the Search Bar enter Human Rights, drop down menu will show the following Canadian content pages
  • British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal Decisions
  • Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Decisions
  • Manitoba Human Rights Boards of Adjudication Decisions
  • New Brunswick Human Rights Board of Inquiry Decisions
  • Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Boards of Inquiry Decisions
• Westlaw: In the Search Bar enter Human Rights, drop down menu will show the following International content pages
  • United Kingdom Cases: Human Rights
  • United Kingdom Legislation: Human Rights
  • United Kingdom Cases: European Human Rights Reports
  • Hong Kong Current Awareness: Human Rights
  • United Kingdom Legislation Locator: Human Rights