Major Human Rights Treaties
- United Nations Charter
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination(in force January 4, 1969)
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (in force March 23, 1976)
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (in force March 23, 1976)
- Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (in force September 3, 1981)
- Convention Against Torture, and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (in force June 26, 1987)
- Convention on the Rights of the Child (in force September 2, 1990)
- International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (in force July 1, 2003)
Sources for Treaties and Documents (see also, Guide to Locating Treaties):
- AccessUN (index to United Nations documents and publications) (BEN)
- Charter of the United Nations: and Statute of the International Court of Justice (JX1977 .A15 1945)
- International Human Rights Instruments
- International Human Rights Instruments of the United Nations, 1948-1982 (Reference K3238 .I57 1983)
- Official Document System of the United Nations
- United Nations Treaty Body Database
- UNDOC, Current Index (1979-) (JX1977 .A2105)
- United Nations Documents Index: United Nations and Specialized Agencies Documents and Publications (1950-1973) (JX1977 .A21)
Organizations (may issue reports, statements, treaty interpretations, country reports; may consider complaints and issue opinions.)
- Commission on Human Rights
- Committee Against Torture
- Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Human Rights Committee
Courts
- International Court of Justice created by the Statute of the International Court (also called the Rome Statute)
- International Criminal Court (established by the Rome Statute of July 17, 1998)
- International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
- International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
Selected Treatises
- Alston, The United Nations and Human Rights: a Critical Appraisal(K3240.4 .U48 1992)
- Bassiouni & DeZayas, The Protection of Human Rights in the Administration of Criminal Justice: a Compendium of United Nations Norms and Standards (K5452 .P76 1994)
- Bedi, The Development of Human Rights Law by the Judges of the International Court of Justice (K3240 .B427 2007)
- Ramcharan, The Protection of U.N. Human Rights Special Procedures(K3240 .R36 2009)
United Nations Publications
- AccessUN: Index to United Nations Documents and Publications (BEN)
- Annual Review of United Nations Affairs (JX1977.A1 A55)
- Human Rights: a Basic Handbook for UN Staff
- Human Rights Bibliography: United Nations Documents and Publications, 1980-1990 (K3236 .H863 1993)
- Official Document System of the United Nations
- United Nations Juridical Yearbook (JX1977.A1 U54)
- United Nations Statement of Treaties and Agreements registered or Filed and Recorded with the Secretariat in English and French: Annual Cumulation (JX170 .U57)
- Yearbook of the International Law Commission (JX1977.A1 I57)
- Yearbook of the United Nations (JX1977.A37 Y42)