What is International Human Rights Law?

Syllabus

• Week 1

  The Nature of International Human Rights Law

  • Introduction to the Course

    In this activity, you will be introduced to the ExpertTrack, the course instructor, and your fellow learners. Finally, you will learn how this course will be assessed.

  • International Human Rights Law in the Current Era

    Here you will learn how international human rights law has come to occupy a very central place in the discourse between states and in the discourse of international organisations including the United Nations.

  • What Constitutes International Human Rights Law?

    Here you will learn about some of the sources of international human rights law and you will examine the contents of one UN human rights treaty.

  • Human Rights and the State

    In this activity, you will examine the considerable tension at the heart of international human rights law.

  • What Underpins International Human Rights Law?

    Here you will learn about the notion of human dignity as the organising principle around which human rights are constructed.

  • Wrap Up

    Here you will find a list of references and a summary of this week’s materials.

• Week 2

  History of Human Rights

  • Where Did Human Rights Come From?

    Here you will begin to get a sense that while a recent creation, human rights do have antecedents dating as least as far back as 1215.

  • Philosophical Thought and Historical Antecedents

    Here you will consider some antecedents to international human rights law. You will also consider the thinking of a number of philosophers whose writings had an impact on the articulation of rights in national contexts.

  • Key Developments in International Law

    Here you will examine a number of international developments prior to 1948 that signalled an increased international legal concern for human beings.

  • Wrap Up

    Here you will find a repeat poll, a list of references, and a summary of the week.

• Week 3

  Universality of Human Rights

  • Universality Claims

    Here you will investigate the claims of universality, having already ascertained the Western origins of human rights law.

  • Antecedents to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

    Here you will examine the immediate international developments leading to the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and get a sense of its Euro-American origins.

  • The Establishment of the UN and the Place of Human Rights

    Here you will be introduced to the United Nations and its concern for the protection of human rights.

  • Sovereignty and International Human Rights Law

    Here you will investigate the tension between the notion of state sovereignty which is a fundamental principle of international law, and the obligations imposed by international human rights law.

  • Wrap Up

    Here you will find a repeat poll, a list of resources, and a summary of the week.

• Week 4

  Norms, Institutions and Systems

  • UN Human Rights Standards

    Here you will consider the UN’s commitment to human rights.

  • UN Human Rights Treaties

    Here you will hear about the nine core UN human rights treaties and their supervisory bodies.

  • UN Commission on Human Rights to the UN Human Rights Council

    Here you will learn about the former Commission, the reasons for its demise, and its replacement by the UN Human Rights Council. You will consider if this has resulted in improvement in the UN’s work to protect human rights.

  • Regional Systems and Norms

    Here you will be introduced to some of the regional instruments and institutions. The instruments and judgments of the regional courts all form part of the corpus of international human rights law.

  • Wrap Up

    Here you will find a test, so you can see how much you have learned so far. You will also find a list of resources, a repeat poll and a summary of the week.

Who will you learn with?