Introduction to International Human Rights
Volledige vakbeschrijving
In this course we look at human rights from the inside, examining: the nature and scope of international human rights standards; the obligations of states (under international law) to uphold these; and the mechanisms in place to transform national injustices into international concerns. These obligations and mechanisms have been created after 1948, when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA).
Doelstellingen van dit vak
Generally: To provide an introduction to international human rights law and the institutional framework of the UN.
Specifically, that the student is able to …:
… identify, interpret and apply the major international (UN) human rights treaties and relevant documents related to the institutional framework of the UN.
… identify, apply and critically assess foundational human rights concepts, normative standards, state obligations and procedural mechanisms related to the UN human rights system.
… use, compare and contrast the UN treaty- and Charter-based mechanisms.
… examine and evaluate real-life situations of (potential) human rights violations in light of international human rights law.
… debate current human rights-related topics and convincingly present their (counter) arguments in oral format.
Voorwaarden
Students must have followed one or more law courses at bachelor level.
Aanbevolen literatuur
The main focus of the course is on the legal content (both substantive and procedural) of the UN human rights treaties (the BISSET compilation), for which the MOECKLI textbook presents general information and background reading.
- BISSET, Alison (ed.), Blackstone’s International Human Rights Documents, Oxford: OUP (latest Edition); and
- MOECKLI, Daniel, et al. (eds.), International Human Rights Law, Oxford: OUP 2022 (Fourth Edition).