Modernizing the UN Human Rights System

Modernizing the UN Human Rights System PDF Author: Bertrand G. Ramcharan
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 900438734X
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
The universal protection of human rights remains the core challenge of the United Nations if it is to achieve its mission of a world of peace, development and justice. Yet, at a time of seismic changes in the world, when shocking violations of human rights are taking place world-wide, the UN human rights system is in need of urgent modernization. This book, written by a foremost scholar-practitioner who previously exercised the functions of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, advances a series of ideas to modernize the UN protection system. Among a dozen key proposals are that the UN human rights system should help alleviate the plight of the poorest, pay greater attention to the national protection system of each country, and establish a World Court on Human Rights that can deal with countries which grievously violate human rights. Unlike other texts that have focused on those topics, this book not only provides comprehensive analysis but, crucially, offers practical and workable solutions based on the author's significant expertise and experience. Scholars, practitioners, and students of international human rights will benefit immensely from its analysis, insights, perspectives, and proposals. It is a salutary contribution on the 75th anniversary of the UN (2020).

Modernizing the UN Human Rights System

Modernizing the UN Human Rights System PDF Author: Bertrand G. Ramcharan
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 900438734X
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
The universal protection of human rights remains the core challenge of the United Nations if it is to achieve its mission of a world of peace, development and justice. Yet, at a time of seismic changes in the world, when shocking violations of human rights are taking place world-wide, the UN human rights system is in need of urgent modernization. This book, written by a foremost scholar-practitioner who previously exercised the functions of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, advances a series of ideas to modernize the UN protection system. Among a dozen key proposals are that the UN human rights system should help alleviate the plight of the poorest, pay greater attention to the national protection system of each country, and establish a World Court on Human Rights that can deal with countries which grievously violate human rights. Unlike other texts that have focused on those topics, this book not only provides comprehensive analysis but, crucially, offers practical and workable solutions based on the author's significant expertise and experience. Scholars, practitioners, and students of international human rights will benefit immensely from its analysis, insights, perspectives, and proposals. It is a salutary contribution on the 75th anniversary of the UN (2020).

Modernizing the United Nations System

Modernizing the United Nations System PDF Author: John E. Trent
Publisher: Verlag Barbara Budrich
ISBN: 3866499108
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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Book Description
This book contends that civil society must mobilize its capacities to bring a new will to national and international politics and oblige governments to act. It starts by demonstrating the need for institutional change at the UN and then shows how, both in the past and the present, leading individuals and nongovernmental organizations, using their knowledge base and their organizational networks, have lead the fight for international organizations. After a summary of major UN reform proposals over the years, the book concludes by identifying leading global ""reformers"" and elaborating a detailed plan for a global reform movement to spearhead the modernization of the UN system.

The Effectiveness of the UN Human Rights System

The Effectiveness of the UN Human Rights System PDF Author: Surya P. Subedi, OBE, QC (Hon)
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351778951
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
The UN human rights agenda has reached the mature age of 70 years and many UN mechanisms created to implement this agenda are themselves in their middle-age, yet human rights violations are still a daily occurrence around the globe. The scorecard of the UN human rights mechanisms appears impressive in terms of the promotion, spreading of education and engaging States in a dialogue to promote human rights, but when it comes to holding governments to account for violations of these rights, the picture is much more dismal. This book examines the effectiveness of UN mechanisms and suggests measures to reform them in order to create a system that is robust and fit to serve the 21st century. This book casts a critical eye on the rationale and effectiveness of each of the major UN human rights mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council, the human rights treaty bodies, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteurs and other Charter-based bodies. Surya P. Subedi argues most of the UN human rights mechanisms have remained toothless entities and proposes measures to reform and strengthen it by depoliticising the workings of UN human rights mechanisms and judicialising human rights at the international level.

New Challenges for the UN Human Rights Machinery

New Challenges for the UN Human Rights Machinery PDF Author: M. Cherif Bassiouni
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781780680552
Category : Human rights
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
With the growth of the UN's Treaty Body System, the harmonization and the coordination of working methods between the treaty bodies has become a pressing issue. Commentators spoke of a crisis of the system: a victim of its own success. In 2002, the UN Secretary-General considered that the development of the system had increased pressure on resources of both States and the secretariat, and had implication on the ability of the States to continue to meet their reporting obligations, while the secretariat struggled to continue to provide quality service to all treaty bodies. The UN invited States to reflect on a number of reform initiatives that could help to modernize the system. The possibility of replacing the reporting obligations owed to each of the treaty bodies, with a single report, was suggested. The UN also wished that strengthening and harmonization efforts could eventually lead to a single human rights Treaty Body, which could enhance human rights protection at national level. These suggestions were largely unacceptable to States parties, but the concept itself - of having States submitting single reports to a single human rights mechanism - was tried in the new Charter-based Universal Periodic Review mechanism of the new Human Rights Council, set up in 2007. While the new procedure had little impact on the challenges to the separate Treaty Body System which continued to grow, it certainly reinvigorated calls for a better coordination between the different elements of the UN Human Rights Machinery. In 2009, Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, gave new impetus to the discussions by addressing a renewed call on relevant stakeholders to initiate a process of reflection on ways of strengthening the Treaty Body System and, by extension, the UN Human Rights Protection System as a whole. This impressive collection of essays is a response to the High Commissioner's call, which joins initiatives by other stakeholders. The book has two parts, with one section reflecting on the Treaty Body System, and the second section on the Human Rights Council Procedures. M. Cherif Bassiouni, in April 2012, received the Wolfgang Friedmann Memorial Award which is given by the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law to a distinguished scholar or practitioner who has made outstanding contributions to the field of international law.

The UN Human Rights Council

The UN Human Rights Council PDF Author: Bertrand G. Ramcharan
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136657029
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 171

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Book Description
The UN Human Rights Council provides a detailed insight into this important organization. The UN was founded in the hope that lasting peace would be built on the foundations of human rights and economic and social progress. In 2006 the Commission on Human Rights was replaced by the Human Rights Council as the principal UN body concerned with human rights. It is even possible that the council might eventually become a principal organ of the world organization. The Human Rights Council is already the subject of major public interest and controversy. The Council has been criticized for having dropped some of the protection strategies of the former commission and this book aims to present a balanced view of the council, outlining its current role, acknowledging where it has made positive contributions, highlighting the deficiencies, and identifying options for improving the body’s future work. This book is destined to become the leading text on the Human Rights Council and will be essential reading for all those concerned with the future of international relations international organizations and human rights.

The United Nations and Human Rights

The United Nations and Human Rights PDF Author: Julie Mertus
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134008023
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
Julie Mertus’ highly acclaimed text continues to be the only completely up-to-date comprehensive yet succinct guide to the United Nations human rights system. Today, virtually all UN bodies and specialized agencies are undertaking efforts to incorporate the promotion or protection of human rights into their programs and activities. The United Nations and Human Rights examines these recent initiatives within the broader context of human rights practice, including the promotion of individual rights, management of international conflict and the advancement of agendas of social movements. The fully revised and updated second edition not only provides a complete guide to the development, structure and procedures within the UN human rights system, but also reflects the vital changes that have occurred within the UN system, devoting considerable attention to expanding the range of issues discussed, including: new developments in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights the current controversy surrounding the new Human Rights Council expanded treatment of economic and social rights. A superb addition to any human rights syllabus, this book maintains its position as essential reading for students and practitioners of human rights, international relations and international law.

Modernizing the Role of the International Court of Justice

Modernizing the Role of the International Court of Justice PDF Author: Bertrand Ramcharan
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9462655197
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 207

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Book Description
This book discusses the future role of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a world facing survival challenges. It discusses threats such as climate change, environmental degradation and pandemics, and argues that in the future the ICJ will need to carry out judicial, security and protection functions as it is the only organ of the United Nations (UN) that can discharge such functions in view of its independence and expertise. The author proposes that the ICJ can apply a hitherto unused jurisdictional provision in Article 36 of its statute that allows it to deal with "All Matters Specially Provided for in the UN Charter" and presents three examples of issues that would require the urgent attention of the ICJ: vaccine equity in a global pandemic, climate disaster, and mass movements of people across frontiers due to climate change and environmental degradation. Bertrand Ramcharan (Guyana) is a Barrister-at-Law of Lincoln’s Inn with a Doctorate in international law from the London School of Economics (LSE) and the Diploma in International Law of the Hague Academy of International Law. He was LSE International Law Scholar and has been Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists and a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. He has also been Director of the Research Centre of the Hague Academy of International Law (The Right to Life), Professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute, and Chancellor of the University of Guyana. He is a former Chief speech-writer of the UN Secretary-General, and has performed the functions of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. His doctoral thesis was on the approach of the International Law Commission to the codification and progressive development of international law.

Failing to Protect

Failing to Protect PDF Author: Rosa Freedman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190257415
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Every year tens of millions of individuals suffer grave abuses of their human rights. These violations occur worldwide, in war-torn countries and in the wealthiest states. Despite many of the abuses being well-documented, little seems to be done to stop them from happening. The United Nations was established to safeguard world peace and security, development, and human rights yet it is undeniable that currently is it failing to protect the rights of a great many people from the victims of ethnic cleansing, to migrants, those displaced by war and women who suffer horrendous abuse. This book looks at the reasons for that failure. Using concrete examples intertwined with explanations of the law and politics of the UN, Rosa Freedman offers clear explanations of how and why the Organisation is unable, at best, or unwilling, at worst, to protect human rights. Written for a non-specialist audience, her book also seeks to explain why certain countries and political blocs manipulate and undermine the UN s human rights machinery. Failing to Protect demonstrates the urgent need for radical reform of the machinery of human rights protection at the international level.

The United Nations and Human Rights

The United Nations and Human Rights PDF Author: Julie A. Mertus
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781138940376
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 204

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Book Description


The Future of UN Human Rights Treaty Monitoring

The Future of UN Human Rights Treaty Monitoring PDF Author: Philip Alston
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521645744
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 604

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Book Description
E: Looking at the future.