HUMAN RIGHTS

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a core document on human rights. The Declaration was decreed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on the 10^th of December 1948.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) was created to promote and protect Human Rights. OHCHR provides a forum for identifying, highlighting and developing responses to today’s human rights challenges, and acts as the principal focal point of human rights research, education, public information, and advocacy activities in the United Nations system.

Council of Europe

Respect of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and, in particular, the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights, is a crucial element of the Council of Europe’s system for the protection of human rights, rule of law and democracy and, hence, for democratic stability in European states.

Also see European Court of Human Rights Database

Rights Info

Rights Info is a website focused on bringing human rights to life using infographics, stories and social media. Rights Info is about using social media to find new ways to talk about and deliver human rights stories and information. Rights Info contributes to raising awareness about why human rights matter and how they can change people’s lives.

Association for the Prevention of Torture

The Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) works for a torture-free world, where the rights and dignity of all persons deprived of liberty are respected. APT’s mission is to lead and support endeavours to prevent torture and ill-treatment. APT focuses on:

1. Strengthening legal and policy frameworks so that torture and other forms of ill-treatment are criminalised and safeguards are in place.
2. Improving detention practices to reduce the risk of torture and ill-treatment in police custody and increase protection of all detained persons, particularly those in specific situations of vulnerability.
3. Strengthening public oversight, through increased transparency in places of detention and a strong and effective OPCAT system.

Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

ODIHR is tasked with assisting OSCE-participating States to ensure full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; to abide by the rule of law; to promote principles of democracy; to build, strengthen, and protect democratic institutions; and to promote tolerance throughout their societies. The Office also plays an important role in enhancing dialogue among States, governments, and civil society. ODIHR organizes the yearly OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, three supplementary meetings and a seminar, which review governments’ progress and give NGOs a platform to freely voice their concerns.

Youth for Human Rights and United for Human Rights

Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 by Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, an educator born and raised in apartheid South Africa. The purpose of YHRI is to teach youth about human rights, specifically the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and inspire them to become advocates for tolerance and peace.

United for Human Rights (UHR) is an international, not-for-profit organization dedicated to implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the local, regional, national, and international levels. UHR’s membership is comprised of individuals, educators, and groups throughout the world who are actively forwarding the knowledge and protection of human rights. UHR’s purpose is to provide human rights educational resources and activities that inform, assist, and unite individuals, educators, organisations, and governmental bodies in the dissemination and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at every level of society.

International Justice Resource Center

The International Justice Resource Center (IJRC) provides advocates, civil society organizations, and victims of human rights abuses with the information and resources they need to effectively use international legal protections, including advocacy before human rights monitoring bodies and complaints before international and domestic courts, to bring about justice and accountability for human rights violations. IJRC provides educational materials, training workshops, and advice to individuals and groups around the world.

International Federation for Human Rights

FIDH is an international human rights NGO federating 178 organizations from 120 countries. Since 1922, FIDH has been defending all civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. FIDH acts at national, regional, and international levels in support of its member and partner organisations to address human rights abuses and consolidate democratic processes. FIDH’s work is directed at States and those in power, such as armed opposition groups and multinational corporations. FIDH‘s primary beneficiaries are national human rights organisations who are members of FIDH and, through them, the victims of human rights violations. FIDH also cooperates with other local partner organisations and actors of change.

 UNDP-OHCHR Toolkit for Collaboration with National Human Rights Institutions (2010)

The Toolkit identifies good practices and supports strategies for projects aimed at aiding organisational development and capacity assessment generally, with a focus on the two substantive areas of NHRI work:

• Protection mandate: investigations, effective complaints handling strategies, alternative dispute and conflict resolution (at both the individual and community levels), public inquiries and monitoring.
• Promotion mandate: good practices in public education, media relations, advice and assistance to government, reports, policy development, and programs of cooperation that can “leverage” resources and achieve a broader impact.

 Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme. A Handbook for Civil Society

Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme: A Handbook for Civil Society is addressed to the civil society actors who, every day in every part of the world, contribute to the promotion, protection and advancement of human rights. Developed following a survey among users of the first edition of the Handbook, Working with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: A Handbook for NGOs (2006), this comprehensively updated and revised second edition puts United Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms at its centre. Speaking to all civil society actors, including, but not only, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the Handbook explains how civil society can engage with various United Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms.

OHCHR (1997), International Human Rights Standards for Law Enforcement: A Pocket Book on Human Rights for the Police.

This “pocket book” is designed to provide a readily accessible and portable reference for police committed to the lawful and humane performance of their vital functions in a democratic society. The pocket book contains hundreds of relevant standards, reduced to common language and point-form, and drawn from over thirty international sources.

Paris Principles[1]

Paris Principles (resolution 48/134) are principles relating to the Status of National Human Rights Institutions. They were adopted by the General Assembly on 20^th of December, 1993.

International Coordinating Committee of NHRIs

The International Coordinating Committee for National Human Rights Institutions (ICC) is the international association of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) from all parts of the globe, established in 1993. The Committee promotes and strengthens NHRIs to be in accordance with the Paris Principles and provides leadership in the promotion and protection of human rights.

The ICC:

• Facilitates and supports NHRI engagement with the UN Human Rights Council and Treaty Bodies
• Encourages cooperation and information-sharing among NHRIs, including through an annual meeting and biennial conference
• Undertakes accreditation of NHRIs in accordance with the Paris Principles
• Promotes the role of NHRIs within the United Nations and with States and other international agencies
• Offers capacity-building in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCR)
• Assists NHRIs under threat
• If requested, can assist governments to establish NHRIs

Regional NHRI Networks and Forums

• European Group of National Human Rights Institutions
• Asia Pacific Forum
• Network of African Human Rights Institutions
• Network of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Americas
• Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights Institutions
• Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue

National Human Rights Institutions Database

The Raoul Wallenberg Institute’s NHRI Database holds over 1 500 documents relating to National Human Rights Institutions. These documents are materials produced by NHRIs themselves (annual reports, thematic guides and studies, national inquiries, etc.) and UN documents, or scholarly articles related to National Human Rights Institutions. The objective of the Database is to make NHRI materials available to a wider audience and to generally promote the work of NHRIs around the world. The database also allows NHRIs to share best practices and for scholars and researchers to access relevant documents.

DCAF (2011), Legislating for the Security Sector Toolkit: 10 Basic Human Rights Standards for Law Enforcement Officials

These ‘10 Basic Human Rights Standards for Law Enforcement Officials’ were prepared by Amnesty International in association with police officials and experts from different countries. They are based on United Nations law enforcement, criminal justice and human rights standards. This document is intended to raise awareness amongst government officials, parliamentarians, journalists, and non-governmental organizations of some fundamental standards which should be part of any police training and police practice.

Human Rights in Ukraine:

Amnesty International – Ukraine

This is the Amnesty international webpage dedicated to Ukraine.

Democratic Governance, Human Rights and Civil Society Development Praxis Portal

This is a UNDP information and resources portal created in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

Freedom House report – Ukraine

This is the Freedom House webpage dedicated to Ukraine.

Human Rights Watch – Ukraine

This is the Human Rights Watch page dedicated to Ukraine. See also Human Rights Watch World Report 2015: Ukraine

Key document on Human Rights in Ukraine: Ukraine National Action Plan on Human Rights approved through the Decree of the President of Ukraine #501/2015[2]

GENDER

 Gender & Security Sector Reform Toolkit

The Toolkit is an initial response to the need for information and analysis on gender and SSR. This Toolkit is designed to provide policymakers and practitioners with a practical introduction to why gender issues are important in SSR and what can be done to integrate them. Each SSR context is unique. As such, the strategies and recommendations provided in the Toolkit may not always be directly applicable and should always be adapted to the local context.

Gender and Security Sector Reform Training Resource Website

In order to support the drive for gender-responsive SSR, the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), and the United Nations International Research and Training Institution for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW, now part of UN Women) published a Toolkit on Gender and Security Sector Reform in February 2008.

These training resources are a companion to the SSR and Gender Toolkit. They are designed for SSR trainers and educators to help you present material on gender and SSR in an interesting and interactive manner. The Gender and SSR Training Resource Package contains a wide range of exercises, discussion topics, and examples from the ground that you can adapt and integrate into your SSR training. Gender trainers working with the security sector will also find the content useful.

Teaching Gender in the Military: a Handbook

The handbook aims to (a) strengthen the ability to integrate gender in professional military education and (b) improve the capacity of gender experts to deliver educational content. This Handbook aims to cover both ‘what to teach’ and ‘how to teach’ in reference to gender and the role it plays in the military.

Handbook on Gender and Complaints Mechanisms

This handbook synthesizes knowledge and experience regarding the prevention of misconduct, and handling and monitoring of complaints within armed forces, with particular regard to gender. This handbook is a resource for armed forces, ministries of defence, Ombuds institutions and others that manage and oversee armed forces in:

• establishing a safe and non-discriminatory environment for men and women in the armed forces;
• dealing with instances and complaints of gender-related discrimination, harassment, bullying, and abuse in the armed forces; and
• monitoring and overseeing the handling of instances and complaints of gender-related discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse in the armed forces

Guidance Notes on Integrating Gender into Internal Police Oversight

Designed as a complement to the DCAF, OSCE/ODIHR, UN-INSTRAW Gender and Security Sector Reform Toolkit, and DCAF’s Gender Self-Assessment Guide, the guidance notes focus on integrating gender into systems and processes within police services and armed forces. In order to further prioritise gender, the guidance notes equip external oversight bodies, such as Ombuds institutions and national human rights institutions.

Gender Self-Assessment Guide for the Police, Armed Forces and Justice Sector

The self-assessment guide leads users through an eight-stage assessment process of a security sector institution. Users are then encouraged to create an action plan to move the organisation forward, and monitor and evaluate the plan’s implementation. The assessment collects information across 16 “dimensions” of gender responsiveness grouped into the following themes:

• Performance effectiveness
• Laws, policies, and planning
• Community relations
• Accountability and oversight
• Personnel
• Institutional culture

Gender Equality and Security Sector Reform: Mainstreaming gender equality in security provision, management and oversight

Gender Equality and Good Security Sector Governance: Gender equality for state and human security

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