Rule of Law + Access to Justice
Key Treaties and Laws:
A United Nations compendium of regional and international human rights instruments, separated by topic and also including International Norms and Standards relating to disability is available here.
A Compendium of Human Rights Documents of the African Union is available here.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the core foundation of all human rights advocacy and litigation.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a core, foundational human rights charter.
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ECOSOC) is a core, foundational human rights charter.
The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an important regional human rights authority.
The European Social Charter is an important regional human rights authority.
The African Charter on Humans and People’s Rights is an important regional human rights authority.
The American Convention on the Human Rights is an important regional human rights authority.
The 12 Universal Conventions and Protocols against Terrorism which Have Been Developed under the Auspices of the United Nations and its Specialized Agencies set forth important considerations for modern transitional regions.
The Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War crimes and Crimes Against Humanity sets forth important principles of international humanitarian law (IHL) or the law of armed conflict (LOAC).
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide sets forth important principles of international humanitarian law (IHL) or the law of armed conflict (LOAC). Download the PDF file here.
The Geneva Conventions: The First Geneva Convention “for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field”, Second Geneva Convention “for the Amelioration of the Convention of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea” , Third Geneva Convention “relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War” , and Fourth Geneva Convention “relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War” and Additional Protocols (Protocol I , Protocol II , Protocol III ) set forth important principles of international humanitarian law (IHL) or the law of armed conflict (LOAC).
Relevant Articles and Authority:
- The United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, ‘Primer for Justice Components on Rule of Law’ is a 2007 report on effective deployment in peace operations, including the provision of effective technical assistance.
- Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Professional Training Series No. 12, ‘Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Handbook for National Human Rights Institutions’ is a 2005 report on how human rights defenders can best protect the economic, social, and cultural rights of the populations with which they interact.
- This Palestinian rule of law legal drama was commissioned by USAID and presents key principles of rule of law in an entertaining format. See Episode 1 and Episode 2.
- ‘Rule of Law Reform in Post-Conflict Countries: Operational Initiatives and Lessons Learnt’, (Social Development Papers, Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction) is an October 2006 report by Kirsti Samuels looking at development assistance and successful rule of law reform.
‘Learning to Build Peace?’ (Global Public Policy Institute) is a 2007 paper by Thorsten Benner, Andrea Binder, and Philip Rotmann on peacebuilding and rule of law.
‘Key Insights, Principles, Good Practices and Emerging Lessons in Peacebuilding’ (New York, NY: The Peacebuilding Commission) (2008) is a "lessons learned" report from a working group on peacebuilding.
‘United Nations Reform and Supporting the Rule of Law in Post-Conflict Societies’ is a 2006 paper in Harvard Human Rights Journal, Vol. 19 by David Tolbert and Andrew Solomon.
Fostering Private Sector Development in Fragile States: Why Public-Private Dialogue is Part of the Recipe is a 2014 report in Great Insights journal.
Rule of Law is a Game of Thrones is a 2014 analysis is Great Insights.
The Role of Justice in Peacebuilding: Lessons from Transitional Justice is a 2014 report from Great Insights.