This module will introduce you to the field of international human rights law. It will provide an overview of the historical and philosophical foundations of human rights, various substantive rights that are protected through universal and regional instruments, as well as giving a general introduction to the international mechanisms for human rights protection and promotion.
The module aims to provide the you with both substantive and procedural knowledge of human rights protection, as well as knowledge and understanding of some of the key contemporary challenges in international human rights law.
The indicative syllabus will cover a variety of substantive topics in terms of current human rights standards. This will partly be a study of international treaties, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and partly be the study of specific protection for vulnerable groups, such as minorities and women as well as current issues in human rights law such as poverty, non-state actors and conflict. The way in which local and global political and social structures influence the enjoyment of human rights will also be addressed.