A handbook of international human rights terminology

Abstract

The many terms and legal expressions in the discourse of human rights are often unknown or misunderstood in their international context. Yet human rights have their ultimate expression in the international legal context: in international treaties, declarations, country-specific or thematic reports, decisions of administrative or quasi-judicial bodies, and court judgments, all of which employ legal terminology. The same is increasingly so in the national legal context, which looks to the international context as a source of law and legal interpretation. A Handbook of International Human Rights Terminology is a much-needed tool that provides access to the developing language of human rights and aids in full comprehension of human rights theory and issues. In this convenient handbook almost eight hundred key terms and acronyms commonly used in international and national human rights discourse are defined in non-technical language. Included are definitions of foreign language terminology, including many Latin terms. A useful appendix contains the full text of the four principal international human rights instruments that constitute the International Bill of Rights, along with an internationally accepted list of the specific substantive human rights contained in those instruments. An accessible introduction for students and newcomers to the field of human rights, this handbook will also serve as an indispensable reference for specialists.