Source material and useful links

for Tread Softly background briefings on Human Rights

UN Human Rights System

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Why Is International Human Rights Law Such an Easy Target? – by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Human Rights Council

UN Human Rights Bodies

List of Human Rights Issues from Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Universal Human Rights Index – recommendations and observations on specific human rights issues from the United Nations Human Rights system

Human Rights Principles from UN Population Fund

Twenty Years of Economic and Social Rights Advocacy – from Center for Economic and Social Rights

Women’s Rights

UN Women

Commission on the Status of Women

International Women’s Day

Right to Development

Making right to development a reality for everyone – summary by Third World Network of the first report to the Human Rights Council of the new Special Rapporteur on the right to development, Mr Saad Alfarargi

Advocacy and Research

Amnesty International

Human Rights Watch

The Pushback Against the Populist Challenge – introduction to Human Rights Watch World Report 2018 by Kenneth Roth

Asian Human Rights Commission

Witness

Business and Human Rights Resource Centre

The Girl Effect

Musawah

Center for Economic and Social Rights

more Human Rights briefings
Political Backlash
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
International Human Rights Law
Women’s Rights in International Law
Human Rights Law Enforcement
Rights-based Development

Recent news and opinion about Human Rights

New map reveals state-sanctioned violence against protesters

19/9/2023: Authorities across the world are increasingly resorting to unlawful use of force and repressive legislation to crush protests, according to Amnesty International. Its new interactive map charts the numerous human rights violations perpetrated against protesters around the world.

Source: Amnesty International

Global survey of democracy uncovers mixed feelings

14/9/2023: An annual global survey from the Open Society Foundation reflects both positive and negative aspects of the state of democracy worldwide. A disconcertingly large minority of young people surveyed (42%) feel that military rule is a good way of running a country. A similar number (35%) feel that having a strong leader who does not bother with elections or consulting parliament/congress is also acceptable.

Source: Inter Press Service

Anniversary of UN’s damning Xinjiang report revives call to action

31/8/2023: Amnesty International has described the response of the international community to documented human rights abuses in Xinjiang as "woefully inadequate." The 2022 UN report merits more robust action to seek meaningful change in China’s repressive policies.

Source: Amnesty International

Saudi Arabia: mass killings of migrants at Yemen border

21/8/2023: According to a report by Human Rights Watch, Saudi border guards have killed at least hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers who tried to cross the Yemen-Saudi border between March 2022 and June 2023. Over this period, the country has spent billions on sports-washing to try to improve its image.

Source: Human Rights Watch

Foreign observers say Zimbabwe poll not free and fair

26/8/2023: Most observer missions have reported that although the recent elections in Zimbabwe were generally peaceful, the electoral processes did not meet international standards. In its preliminary report, the European Union Observation Mission referred to “an environment that was not always conducive to voters making a free and informed choice.”

Source: The East African

10 years later: Why are Egyptian human rights ignored?

3/7/2023: Egyptian activists complain the international community often talks about Egypt's crisis-ridden economy, but says far less about its dreadful human rights situation. Why is one seen as more important than the other?

Source: DW

Executions skyrocket to highest figure in five years

16/5/2023: Amnesty International's annual review of the death penalty reveals that a total of 883 people were known to have been executed across 20 countries, marking a rise of 53% over 2021. Saudi Arabia executed 81 people in a single day.

Source: Amnesty International

Amnesty International calls for universal social protection

10/5/2023: Amnesty International is calling for social security to be made available to everyone worldwide after a series of crises is leaving hundreds of millions trapped in a cycle of poverty and deprivation. About 55% of the world’s population have no recourse to even the most basic social protection.

Source: Amnesty International

Germany’s foreign policy: values or national interests?

7/5/2023: Germany has made democracy and human rights the centerpiece of its foreign policy. However, denouncing nations that don't check the values box, such as China, leads to criticism from domestic business interests.

Source: DW

International system unfit to deal with global crises

28/3/2023: Amnesty International’s Annual Report for 2022 highlights double standards throughout the world on human rights. The failure of the international community to unite has led to inadequate responses to human rights abuses, fuelling impunity and instability.

Source: Amnesty International

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