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International human rights instruments are the
treaties A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pers ...
and other international texts that serve as legal sources for
international human rights law International human rights law (IHRL) is the body of international law designed to promote human rights on social, regional, and domestic levels. As a form of international law, international human rights law are primarily made up of treaties, a ...
and the protection of
human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
in general. There are many varying types, but most can be classified into two broad categories: ''declarations'', adopted by bodies such as the
United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
, which are by nature declaratory, so not legally-binding although they may be politically authoritative and very well-respected
soft law The term ''soft law'' refers to quasi-legal instruments (like recommendations or guidelines) which do not have any legally binding force, or whose binding force is somewhat weaker than the binding force of traditional law. Soft law is often contras ...
;, and often express guiding principles; and ''conventions'' that are multi-party treaties that are designed to become legally binding, usually include prescriptive and very specific language, and usually are concluded by a long procedure that frequently requires ratification by each states' legislature. Lesser known are some "recommendations" which are similar to conventions in being multilaterally agreed, yet cannot be ratified, and serve to set common standards. There may also be administrative guidelines that are agreed multilaterally by states, as well as the statutes of tribunals or other institutions. A specific prescription or principle from any of these various international instruments can, over time, attain the status of
customary international law Customary international law is an aspect of international law involving the principle of custom. Along with general principles of law and treaties, custom is considered by the International Court of Justice, jurists, the United Nations, and its ...
whether it is specifically accepted by a state or not, just because it is well-recognized and followed over a sufficiently long time. International
human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
instruments can be divided further into ''global instruments'', to which any state in the world can be a party, and ''regional instruments'', which are restricted to states in a particular region of the world. Most conventions and recommendations (but few declarations) establish mechanisms for monitoring and establish bodies to oversee their implementation. In some cases these bodies that may have relatively little political authority or legal means, and may be ignored by member states; in other cases these mechanisms have bodies with great political authority and their decisions are almost always implemented. A good example of the latter is the
European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that ...
. Monitoring mechanisms also vary as to the degree of individual access to expose cases of abuse and plea for remedies. Under some conventions or recommendations – e.g. the
European Convention on Human Rights The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR; formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is an international convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by ...
– individuals or states are permitted, subject to certain conditions, to take individual cases to a full-fledged tribunal at international level. Sometimes, this can be done in national courts because of universal jurisdiction. The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt ...
, the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a multilateral treaty that commits nations to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, fre ...
, and the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (GA) on 16 December 1966 through GA. Resolution 2200A (XXI), and came in force from 3 January 197 ...
together with other international human rights instruments are sometimes referred to as the ''international bill of rights''. International human rights instruments are identified by the
OHCHR The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, commonly known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the United Nations Human Rights Office, is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nat ...
and most are referenced on the OHCHR website.


Declarations


Global

* Declaration of the Rights of the Child 1923 *
Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt ...
( UN, 1948) * Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons ( UN, 1975) * Declaration on the Right to Development ( UN, 1986) ( UN, 1979) *
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) is a human rights declaration adopted by consensus at the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993 in Vienna, Austria. The position of United Nations High Commissioner for Human ...
(
World Conference on Human Rights The World Conference on Human Rights was held by the United Nations in Vienna, Austria, on 14 to 25 June 1993. It was the first human rights conference held since the end of the Cold War. The main result of the conference was the Vienna Declarati ...
, 1993) *
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
(The Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995) * Declaration of Human Duties and Responsibilities (
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
, 1998) * Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
, 2001) *
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP or DOTROIP) is a legally non-binding resolution passed by the United Nations in 2007. It delineates and defines the individual and collective rights of Indigenous peoples, including th ...
( UN, 2007) *
UN declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity Discussions of LGBT rights at the United Nations have included resolutions and joint statements in the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), attention to the expert-led human rights mechanisms (such ...
( UN, 2008) *


Regional: Americas

* American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man ( OAS, 1948)
American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
(OAS, 2016)


Regional: Asia

* Declaration of the Basic Duties of ASEAN Peoples and Governments ( Regional Council of Human Rights in Asia, 1983) * ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (
ASEAN ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, milita ...
, 2009)


Regional: Middle East

* Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam ( OIC,1990)


Conventions


Global

According to OHCHR, there are 9 or more ''core'' international human rights instruments and several optional protocols. Among the well-known instruments are: * Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD, 21 December 1965) *
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a multilateral treaty that commits nations to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, fre ...
(ICCPR, 16 December 1966) *
International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (GA) on 16 December 1966 through GA. Resolution 2200A (XXI), and came in force from 3 January 197 ...
(ICESCR, 16 December 1966) * Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 18 December 1979) * Inaugural HURIDOCS Assembly (HURIDOCS, 24 July 1982) * SOS-Torture Convention (OMCT, 14 April 1983) *
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (commonly known as the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT)) is an international human rights treaty under the review of the United Nation ...
(CAT, 10 December 1984) * Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, 20 November 1989) * International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICMW, 18 December 1990) *
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) is an international human rights instrument of the United Nations intended to prevent forced disappearance, which, as defined in international la ...
(CPED, 20 December 2006) *
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the convention are required to promote, ...
(CRPD, 13 December 2006) Several more human rights instruments exist. A few examples: * The International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (ICSPCA) * International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families *
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention or the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951, is a United Nations multilateral treaty that defines who a refugee is, and sets out the rights of individua ...
and
Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees The Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees is a key treaty in international refugee law. It entered into force on 4 October 1967, and 146 countries are parties. The 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees restric ...
* Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness *
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG), or the Genocide Convention, is an international treaty that criminalizes genocide and obligates state parties to pursue the enforcement of its prohibition. It was ...
* Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (ILO 169)


Regional: Africa

* African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (June, 1981) * African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990) * Maputo Protocol (11 July 2003) * African Youth Charter (June 30,2006) * African Disability Protocol (June 30,2019) *SADC Gender Protocol (revised version enters into force 2018)


Regional: America

*
American Convention on Human Rights The American Convention on Human Rights, also known as the Pact of San José, is an international human rights instrument. It was adopted by many countries in the Western Hemisphere in San José, Costa Rica, on 22 November 1969. It came into for ...
*
Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture The Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture (IACPPT) is an international human rights instrument, created in 1985 within the Western Hemisphere Organization of American States and intended to prevent torture and other similar ac ...
* Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of Persons * Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women * Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities


Regional: Europe

*
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (CFR) enshrines certain political, social, and economic rights for European Union (EU) citizens and residents into EU law. It was drafted by the European Convention and solemnly proclai ...
*
Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings The Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings is a regional human rights treaty of international human rights law by the Council of Europe. The Convention aims to: * prevent and combat all forms of human trafficki ...
* European Convention on Nationality *
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) is a European treaty (CETS 148) adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe. However, th ...
(ECRML) *
European Convention on Human Rights The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR; formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is an international convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by ...
(ECHR) * European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) * European Social Charter (ESC), and Revised Social Charter * Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM)


Regional: Middle East

* Arab Charter on Human Rights (ACHR) (22 May 2004)


See also

* Universal jurisdiction *
Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts Project (RULAC) The Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts Project (RULAC Project) is an initiative of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights to support the application and implementation of the international law of armed conflict. Overview ...
*
International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and International court, international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to pro ...
(established in 2002) *
International human rights law International human rights law (IHRL) is the body of international law designed to promote human rights on social, regional, and domestic levels. As a form of international law, international human rights law are primarily made up of treaties, a ...
* Human rights inflation *
Human rights treaty bodies Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
*
List of human rights organizations :''The list is incomplete; please add known articles or create missing ones'' The following is a list of articles on the human rights organisations of the world. It does not include political parties, or academic institutions. The list includes ...
* List of indigenous rights organizations * List of international animal welfare conventions *
Rule of law The rule of law is the political philosophy that all citizens and institutions within a country, state, or community are accountable to the same laws, including lawmakers and leaders. The rule of law is defined in the ''Encyclopedia Britannic ...
* Rule According to Higher Law


References


External links


International Human Rights Instruments - U.N. listInternational Justice Resource Center
News and resources for international human rights law {{Authority control * Human rights instruments Human rights treaties Children's rights instruments Women's rights instruments