Human Rights
Key human rights documents. These provide the principles, and form the basis, of international humanitarian and human rights law. The list is sorted alphabetically, and a brief description accompanies each link.
The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen (1789) was inspired by the American Declaration of Independence of 1776. It centres on the idea that all men are born free. The French Declaration marked the end of the Ancien Régime and the dawn of a new republican era. The body of declarations, covenants, and protocols, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that describe the concept and principles of human rights. Collected at the Human Rights Library of the University of Minnesota. Part of the International Bill of Human Rights, the ICCPR sets out the civil and political rights of people everywhere. The ideal of free human beings living without fear and want requires an environment in which all may have, besides civil and political rights, also economic, social and cultural rights. The ICESCR, which is part of the International Bill of Human Rights, lays the foundation of that ideal. The four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and two Additional Protocols of 1977 are the main instruments of international humanitarian law. These conventions are required in wartime to protect people not or no longer participating in the hostilities. Built on a belief in the inherent dignity of human beings and the equal rights of all people everywhere, the Universal Declaration was adopted by the UN in December 1948 and is the foundation of human rights in the world today. It is the central document in the International Bill of Human Rights. |
