An Introduction to the International Protection of Human Rights

Hanski, Raija & Suksi, Markku (eds): 
Second and revised edition. Institute for Human RightsTurku 1999. 

The book aims at providing a general and, at the same time, comprehensive picture of the international protection of human rights. It is an introduction which describes the main systems and standards and is intended to be complemented by more specialized studies. The book will be of particular interest to undergraduate students, but it may also be used during separate human rights courses, by practitioners, by NGO workers and activists and by all those interested in human rights.

The book outlines the philosophical background and history of human rights and discusses the different categories of human rights as well as their beneficiaries. A good portion of the book is devoted to the work of the United Nations in the field of human rights. In addition to this global overview, the book reviews the major regional systems (Council of Europe, the Organization of African Unity, the Organization of American States) from the perspective of human rights. The more recent regional developments in the field of human rights (within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the European Union) are also dealt with. Attention is drawn to the work of non-governmental organizations for the protection of human rights, and a list of major human rights NGOs is appended. The book discusses methods of domestic implementation as well as methods of international monitoring and supervision of human rights. Each chapter contains a bibliography with suggestions for further relevant reading on the specific topic. A table of treaties and a subject index are also included.

Contents:

Part 1: Introduction

1. Marek Piechoviak - What are Human Rights? The Concept of Human Rights and Their Extra-Legal Justification 
2. Jerzy Zajadlo - Human Dignity and Human Rights 
3. Krzystof Drzewicki - Internationalization of Human Rights and Their Juridization 
4. Allan Rosas and Martin Scheinin - Categories and Beneficiaries of Human Rights

Part 2: The United Nations : The Charter - Based and Treaty - Based Procedures

5. Krzystof Drzewicki - The United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 
6. Manfred Nowak - The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 
7. Matthew Craven - The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 
8. Cees Flinterman and Catherine Henderson - Special Human Rights Treaties 
9. Cees Flinterman - Extra-Conventional Standard-Setting and Implementation in the Field of Human Rights

Part 3: Other United Nations Action in the Field of Human Rights

10. Anne Gallagher - Human Rights in the Wider United Nations System
11. Markus G. Schmidt - The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 
12. Klaus Samson and Kenneth Schindler - The Standard-Setting and Supervisory System of the International Labour Organisation 
13. Fons Coomans - UNESCO and Human Rights 
14. Sigrun I. Skogly - The Position of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in the Human Rights Field 
15. Anne Gallagher - United Nations Human Rights Field Operations

Part 4: European Systems

16. J.G. Merrils - Promotion and Protection of Human Rights within the European Arrangements 
17. J.G. Merrils - The Council of Europe (I): The European Convention on Human Rights 
18. David Harris - The Council of Europe (II): The European Social Charter 
19. Maria Amor and Martin Estebanez - The OSCE and Human Rights
20. Lorna Woods - The European Union and Human Rights

Part 5: Extra-European Systems

21. Herman van der Wilt and Viviana Krsticevic - The OAS System for the Protection of Human Rights 
22. Cees Flinterman and Catherine Henderson - The African Charter on Human and Peoples´ Rights

Part 6: Non-Governmental Actors of Human Rights

23. Rachel Brett - Non-Governmental Actors in the Field of Human Rights

Part 7: Implementation of Human Rights

24. Martin Scheinin - International Human Rights in National Law 
25. Martin Scheinin - International Mechanisms and Procedures for Implementation