Human Rights Law Research Guide

Since the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the body of international human rights instruments has grown significantly.  As a result, researchers often struggle to navigate a bewildering array of international treaties, country-specific monitoring reports, judicial decisions issued by regional tribunals and by national courts, and related documentation.

This guide is designed to help researchers identify relevant secondary sources on human rights law and to quickly and efficiently locate the full texts of primary law materials, including treaties, country reports, and case law.  While resources of general interest to all human rights researchers are highlighted throughout the guide, special attention is paid to resources that specifically address the human rights of women at the international level.

Key Resources for Human Rights Law Research

• UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
  The OHCHR's website provides access to a wealth of documentation, including the core human rights treaties, links to the treaty bodies that monitor compliance with these treaties, other international human rights instruments, a directory of human rights information by country, and a directory of human rights databases.
   
• Oxford Reports on International Law
  This subscription database includes more than 4,000 judicial decisions on human rights topics issued by international and regional tribunals and by national courts.  Begin by selecting “human rights” from the Subject menu in the blue navigation bar.  Then search by keyword or use the filters on the left to narrow.
   
• RefWorld
  Although it focuses on refugee and asylum law, this UN database also includes materials that address many related human rights topics.  To search the database, enter words or phrases in the search box.  Then use the post-search filters, displayed to the left of the search results, to narrow.  Alternatively, you can browse by country, by document source, by document type, by keyword, and by thematic area.  It also possible to browse by collection.  Collections include legal instruments, case law, policy & guidance, and research & reports. 
   

Research Assistance & Help with Related Topics

If you need assistance with human rights law research, visit the Research Help page of the Georgetown University Law Library's website. Or contact the Law Library's International and Foreign Law Department by phone (202-662-4195) or by email (lawintlref@georgetown.edu).  Georgetown Law Center students may schedule a one-on-one research consultation with a librarian.

For guidance in researching topics related to human rights law, consult the following Georgetown Law Library resources:  CALS Asylum Case Research Guide, the Treaty Research Guide, and the War Crimes Research Guide.

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Updated 08/2019 (chb)
Revised 06/2018 (chb)
Updated 12/2012(ajs)
Revised 10/2009 (mms)