Copy of American Human Rights Policy

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible.

Universal human rights are often expressed and guaranteed by law, in the forms of treaties, customary international law , general principles and other sources of international law. International human rights law lays down obligations of Governments to act in certain ways or to refrain from certain acts, in order to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals or groups.

--United Nations Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights website

Then:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.- 

Declaration of Independence, 1776

Now:

"Free and Equal in Dignity and Rights" Delivered by Secretary of State Clinton, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, Dec. 6, 2011

Getting Started

There is an extensive literature on human rights generally as well as  specific topics (torture, death penalty, immigration, etc). Below you'll find a selection of encyclopedias and dictionaries to help you get started:

A handbook on international human rights terminology. University of Nebraska Press, 2004. REFERENCE K3239.6 .C66 2004 

Encyclopedia of human rights. 2009 Oxford University Press, 2009. cyberspace. An electronic version of a 5 volume encyclopedia containing over 300 articles by leading scholars. Includes up-to-date bibliographies.

The human rights encyclopedia. Sharpe, 2001  REFERENCE JC571 .L523 2001 V.1

International encyclopedia of human rights : freedoms, abuses, and remedies. CQ Pres, 2000. REFERENCE JC571 .M3243 2000

Find other human rights encyclopedias:
Human rights -- Encyclopedias

Human Rights Literature Guides

Human Rights Library, University of Minnesota, Subject Guides

Human Rights Research Guides (Columbia University)

Legal Literature related to Human Rights (VERY IMPORTANT):

Legal literature ranging from treaties, UN documents, U.S. law and cases, law review articles and the like are very important to the study of human rights. The following guides put all this in context and  where to go for information.

Human Rights Law Research Guide (Georgetown Law Library)

Human Rights (American Society for International Law)

Human Rights: Frequently Asked Questions (Columbia Law Library)

     Selected international human rights instruments ; and, Bibliography for research on international human rights law / David Weissbrodt ...        2001. Law K3240 W442 2001 

Online Annual Reports and Yearbooks

Following is a selected list of electronic annual publications related to human rights. You will find more annual and specific reports under the Human Rights group tab.

• Amnesty International 

• Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (U.S. State Dept.)

• Freedom in the World: Political Rights and Civil Liberties

• Human Rights Watch World Report

• Hunger: Annual Report on the State of World Hunger. Bread for the World Institute on Hunger & Development

• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies World Disasters Report

• International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Annual Report

• The State of the World's Children UNICEF Annual

• Global Report UNHCR 

• World Refugee Survey, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Other related libguides:

War Crimes and Genocide

Sociology: Criminology & the Miscarriage of Justice

SEE ALSO guides under African-American Studies, Women's Studies,

History, US

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