Typical questions

• • Where is same-sex marriage illegal?

• • I need to find materials relating to transitional justice.

Starting points

• • The study of human rights often involves consultation of legal documents. These can be difficult to trace as a multitude of different national, international and temporary tribunals and courts exist. Try to find out as much as possible about the source. This chapter offers key starting points. Other sources can be found in the Law, Treaties, United Nations and International Organisations chapters.

• • Documents from international civil and human rights organisations and non-governmental charities are also key. Be aware that many of these can now be accessed in full text via the internet. They are often not indexed in individual library catalogues. Students can consult the sources listed in this chapter and those in the Grey Literature chapter to trace them.

Recommended resources

Key organisations – government

Equality and Human Rights Commission

www.equalityhumanrights.com

UK government body. Access government strategy documents, plus other research reports relating to the situation in Britain.

Key organisations – international

African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

www.achpr.org

Established in 1986 by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Use its website to find reports relating to human rights across Africa. These include cases and country reports.

Council of Europe

www.coe.int/en/web/human-rights-rule-of-law/home

Directorate General of Human Rights. Note this is a separate body from the EU. Provides information on the application of the European Convention on Human Rights. Free online access to reports monitoring compliance with the rule of law in member nations.

European Union

www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/human-rights

Produces annual reports on the state of human rights and democratisation in EU nations. Back issues are available via the website. Also accessible is the full text of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and other legal and policy documents.

Organization of American States (OAS)

www.oas.org/en/topics/human_rights.asp

Provides information on its work in North, South and Central America. Includes materials from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

www.osce.org/human-rights

Regional security organisation comprising members from Europe, North America and Asia. Includes as part of its remit monitoring of human rights issues relating to human trafficking, media freedom and minority rights in OSCE nations.