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CSIS Human Rights Initiative undertakes research and analysis on the critical role that human rights and democratic values play in a comprehensive and sustainable foreign policy.

Photo: Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images

An Uncertain Future: Democratic Backsliding through Executive Aggrandizement under AMLO

CSIS Americas director Ryan C. Berg and Leonardo Moraveg examine indicators of democratic backsliding that took place during the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador and warn against a deteriorating democracy in Mexico. 

Report by Ryan C. Berg and Leonardo Moraveg — May 31, 2024

• After AMLO: The Economic, Security, and Political Outlook for Mexico in 2024
• Podcast: Mexico’s Historic Election
• Presidential Elections and a Fragmenting Political Landscape in Mexico
• Best of 35 West: On the Campaign Trail in Mexico

Discrimination in Public Health: How Funders Should Fight Laws Like Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act

Commentary by Asia Russell and Maria E. Burnett — May 28, 2024

Mind the Darién Gap, Migration Bottleneck of the Americas

Report by Daniel F. Runde and Thomas Bryja — May 16, 2024

In the Eye of the Storm: Ecuador’s Compounding Crises

Commentary by Ryan C. Berg and Rubi Bledsoe — April 24, 2024

Latest Podcasts

Checking In on UFLPA with John Foote

Podcast Episode by Scott Miller and William Alan Reinsch — June 3, 2024

En Español: En el Ojo de la Tormenta: Las Crisis Agravadas de Ecuador

Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg and Rubi Bledsoe — May 30, 2024

Podcast Episode by Asia Russell and Maria E. Burnett — May 28, 2024

A Mezze: The Bonds of Marriage between Syria and Iraq

Podcast Episode by Josh Phillips — May 7, 2024

Past Events

The State of Governance and Rule of Law in Uganda

Launch of the United States Guidance for Online Platforms on Protecting Human Rights Defenders Online

The Impossible State Live Podcast: Diplomacy or Crisis with DPRK in 2024?

A Human Rights Approach to Ukraine's Rapid Digitalization

Advancing Decent Work and Labor Rights Globally

Report Launch: China’s Role in Democratic Backsliding in Latin America and the Caribbean

Venezuela's Deteriorating Electoral Conditions: A Conversation with María Corina Machado

El Salvador’s 2024 Elections: Voting in a One-Party State?

Related programs.

Michelle Strucke

Benjamin Jensen

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Centering Human Rights in Ukraine's Reconstruction

This virtual event will discuss the HRI's upcoming report, A Human Rights-Centered Approach to Reconstruction in Ukraine, and highlight some of the human rights concerns that have received less public attention in reconstruction plans to date. 

Event — June 7, 2024

On this week's episode of the Trade Guys, guest John Foote of Kelley Drye & Warren will discuss current issues and future forecasts relating to the enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).

Una versión en audio de “En el Ojo de la Tormenta: Las Crisis Agravadas de Ecuador,” un nuevo comentario de Ryan C. Berg y Rubi Bledsoe del CSIS. Este audio fue generado con texto a voz por Eleven Labs.

An audio version of “ Discrimination in Public Health: How Funders Should Fight Laws Like Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act ,” a new commentary by Asia Russell and CSIS’s Maria E. Burnett. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

All health funders should urgently and radically rethink and reorganize their approach to their work in Uganda to better support LGBTQ+ people.

The surge in mass migration through Panama’s treacherous Darién Gap has created a perfect storm of human suffering, environmental damage, and criminal opportunism. This report analyzes the key dimensions of the crisis and calls for a comprehensive and coordinated international response.

Desperate for stability and lured by promises of a life of luxury, a Syrian widow accepted a marriage proposal from a member of an Iraqi militia. She did not know that she would become one of dozens of Syrian women to fall victim to Iraqi marriage exploitation in the past year alone. 

Drawing on extensive fieldwork, CSIS Americas Program director Ryan C. Berg and Rubi Bledsoe examine the causes of Ecuador's security crisis.

Analysis: Support for Refugees Erodes in the Middle East

This week, Leah Hickert speaks with Will Todman, deputy director and senior fellow with the CSIS Middle East Program, about how displacement has become a flashpoint across the region and the innovative solutions necessary to mitigate these crises. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program.

Podcast Episode by Leah Hickert and Will Todman — April 10, 2024

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Human Rights Documentation

Human rights are fundamental to the United Nations. The Preamble of the UN Charter states:

We the peoples of the United Nations [are] determined... to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.

One of the early acts of the General Assembly was to draft and adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, resolution 217 A of 10 December 1948. 

More recent UN actions include the adoption of international human rights treaties, the creation of the position of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 1993 and the establishment of the Human Rights Council in 2006. There is on-going discussion  about how to reform the treaty-body system. 

During its 60th session, the General Assembly adopted the World Summit Outcome, resolution 60/1  of 16 September 2005, which called, inter alia, for strengthening of the UN's human rights mechanisms. Reform of the human rights mechanisms is ongoing and the documentation is changing to reflect the changes. This guide provides an overview of current practice, as well as guidance on the historical documentation. 

The UN Yearbook on Human Rights was published for the years 1946-1988. 

Available Translations

Arabic: وثائق الأمم المتحدة: حقوق الإنسان

Chinese: 联合国文件: 人权

English: UN Human Rights Documentation

French: Documents de l’ONU : Droits de l’homme

Spanish: Documentación de la ONU : Derechos Humanos

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• Last Updated: May 24, 2024 4:31 PM
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Library electronic resources outage May 29th and 30th

Between 9:00 PM EST on Saturday, May 29th and 9:00 PM EST on Sunday, May 30th users will not be able to access resources through the Law Library’s Catalog, the Law Library’s Database List, the Law Library’s Frequently Used Databases List, or the Law Library’s Research Guides. Users can still access databases that require an individual user account (ex. Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Bloomberg Law), or databases listed on the Main Library’s A-Z Database List.

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Human Rights Law Research Guide

Introduction.

• Secondary Sources: Treatises & Books
• Secondary Sources: Journal Articles
• The Core International Human Rights Instruments
• Additional International Human Rights Instruments
• Status of Human Rights Treaties
• UN Charter Bodies
• UN Treaty Bodies
• The Americas
• National Laws Protecting Human Rights
• Multi-Institutional & Multi-Jurisdictional Sources
• Regional Commissions & Tribunals
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• Human Rights Case Law by Subject
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Since the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the body of international human rights instruments has grown significantly.  As a result, researchers often struggle to navigate a bewildering array of international treaties, country-specific monitoring reports, judicial decisions issued by regional tribunals and by national courts, and related documentation.

This guide is designed to help researchers identify relevant secondary sources on human rights law and to quickly and efficiently locate the full texts of primary law materials, including treaties, country reports, and case law.  While resources of general interest to all human rights researchers are highlighted throughout the guide, special attention is paid to resources that specifically address the  human rights of women at the international level .

Key Resources for Human Rights Law Research

• UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) The OHCHR's website provides access to a wealth of documentation, including the core human rights treaties , links to the treaty bodies that monitor compliance with these treaties, other international human rights instruments , a directory of human rights information by country , and a directory of human rights databases .  
• Oxford Reports on International Law This subscription database includes more than 4,000 judicial decisions on human rights topics issued by international and regional tribunals and by national courts.  Begin by selecting “human rights” from the Subject menu in the blue navigation bar.  Then search by keyword or use the filters on the left to narrow.  
• RefWorld Although it focuses on refugee and asylum law, this UN database also includes materials that address other human rights topics.  Search or browse for international legal instruments (treaties), national laws , country reports , and case law from international tribunals and national courts.  For greater precision, use the Advanced Search .  

Research Assistance & Help with Related Topics

If you need assistance with human rights law research, visit the Research Help page of the Georgetown University Law Library's website. Or contact the Law Library's International and Foreign Law Department by phone (202-662-4195) or by email ( [email protected] ).  Georgetown Law Center students may schedule a one-on-one research consultation with a librarian.

For guidance in researching topics related to human rights law, consult the following Georgetown Law Library resources:  CALS Asylum Case Research Guide , the Treaty Research Guide , and the War Crimes Research Guide .

Human Rights Law

Questions? Need Help? Contact the International & Foreign Law Dept.

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Update History

Updated 08/2019 (chb) Revised 06/2018 (chb) Updated 12/2012(ajs) Revised 10/2009 (mms)

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• © Georgetown University Law Library. These guides may be used for educational purposes, as long as proper credit is given. These guides may not be sold. Any comments, suggestions, or requests to republish or adapt a guide should be submitted using the Research Guides Comments form . Proper credit includes the statement: Written by, or adapted from, Georgetown Law Library (current as of .....).
• Last Updated: Feb 7, 2024 10:45 PM
• URL: https://guides.ll.georgetown.edu/humanrightslaw

Human Rights

Introduction, human rights resources at nyu, human rights watch - united states rss feed, related research guides, twitter #humanrights feed.

• Finding Books & E-Books
• Newspaper & Scholarly Articles
• Finding Key Documents
• Data Sources
• United Nations
• NGOs, Charities, and Non-Profits
• Video, Image & Archival Collections

Subject Specialist Librarian Contact

Welcome to the Human Rights Research Guide! Human rights is a multidisciplinary subject and research in human rights often requires consultation across disciplinary and methodological grounds. This guide focuses on providing useful resources for accessing various types of information (e.g. legal documents, data, scholarly articles) related to human rights research. For help with subject-specific research questions, please consult our other research guides or reach out to one of our subject librarians for a consultation . See the box below for a quick overview of the pages in this guide.

Eleanor Roosevelt holding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 

adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. 

Alt text: Eleanor Roosevelt dressed in a dark dress holding a poster size copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

This guide is intended to help you conduct research in the interdisciplinary study of human rights. 

On this page, you can find some of the resources available at NYU New York related to human rights. 

As you move through the tabs of this guide you will find resources for locating various types of information:

• Finding Books & E-Books  for academic books and reference sources on human rights topics.
• Newspaper & Scholarly Articles  for relevant article databases and news sources.
• Finding Key Documents  to learn more about the types of international documentation related to human rights and how to find it.
• Data Sources  for help finding datasets related to human rights issues. 
• United Nations  for a breakdown of human rights-related agencies in the UN and how to find their resources
• NGOs, Charities, and Non-Profits  for organizations that maintain publicly available documentation on human rights issues.  
• Video, Image & Archival Collections for primary source and archival materials (e.g. photos, personal testimonies, video, etc.).

While many of the resources linked in this guide are free and available to the public, some are only available to NYU-users. These resources will be marked with the notice  NYU-only.

• Center for Human Rights and Global Justice The Center (at NYU School of Law) is a community resource for news, scholarship, and professional and academic opportunities related to human rights.
• Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Archive Finding Aids Search these archives for collections related to human rights.
• United Nations and International Documents The United Nations and International Documents Collection at Bobst Library is a full depository for UN documents since 1949.

Here are more  Human Rights Watch feeds  you can follow.

• International Relations by Aruna Magier Pulipaka Last Updated May 13, 2024 2908 views this year
• Public Policy & Administration by Carol Choi Last Updated Apr 24, 2024 665 views this year
• Gender and Sexuality Studies by Jill Conte Last Updated May 28, 2024 3297 views this year

This guide serves as an overview of human rights resources and can be of use to anyone. It was created with the advisement of Laila Hussein Moustafa at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

• Next: Finding Books & E-Books >>
• Last Updated: May 23, 2024 2:40 PM
• URL: https://guides.nyu.edu/humanrights

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Human Rights

Data & statistics, legal research, think tank search, organizations, human trafficking, other research guides.

Getting Started

• Oxford Handbooks Online (Harvard Login) Review essays that evaluate the current thinking on a field or topic, and make an original argument about the future direction of the debate. Contains several reviews of human rights topics.
• Oxford Bibliographies Online (Harvard Login) Selective, discipline-focused, online guides to the essential literature in subjects in the humanities and social sciences.
• Encyclopedia of Human Rights (Harvard Login) Online access to award winning, five-volume encyclopedia offering comprehensive coverage of all aspects of human rights theory, practice, law, and history.
• Oxford Public International Law (Harvard Login) A comprehensive, single location providing integrated access to international law resources. Includes Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law and Oxford Reports on International Law.
• Brill Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (Harvard Login) E-books on human rights, humanitarian and international public law.

E-Books, Articles and Other Publications

• Proquest Social Sciences Premium Collection (Harvard Login) Database collection covering the social sciences including politics, sociology, education and criminal justice. Includes Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS).
• Index to Legal Periodicals and Books (Harvard Login) Provides citations to articles in law reviews, bar association journals, yearbooks, institutes, and government publications from 1980 to present.

Human Rights Libraries

• HeinOnline Foreign & International Law Resources (Harvard Login) Access to key publications from the American Society of International Law and human rights yearbooks from around the world. Includes international tribunals and judicial decisions.
• CIRI Human Rights Data Project Provides data on human rights violations for 202 countries, annually over the period 1981-2011.
• Freedom in the World Annual flagship publication which surveys and rates 195 countries and 15 related and disputed territories by human rights criteria.
• Humanitarian Data Exchange An open platform for sharing humanitarian data with data from over 80 organizations including governments, NGOs and UN agencies.
• Minorities at Risk (MAR) Project Provides information on the status and conflicts of more than 283 politically-active ethnic groups in all countries with a current population of at least 500,000
• WomenStats Compiles qualitative and quantitative information on over 310 indicators of women's status in 174 countries. Free registration is required.
• AidData Searchable, open access database of nearly one million past and present aid activities around the world, and data tools to increase understanding of development finance.
• Financial Tracking Service Managed by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, this global, real-time database which tracks all reported international humanitarian aid including that for NGOs and the Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid, and private donations.

Law Journal Databases

• HeinOnline Foreign & International Law Resources (Harvard Login) Provides full-text access to publications from the American Society of International Law and human rights yearbooks from around the world, as well as the Hague Permanent Court of International Justice series and other useful materials.

International Law Reference Resources

• Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law (MPEPIL) (Harvard Login) Online reference work for basic information about international human rights cases and issues. Click on Subject to search by key topics in human rights.
• Collected Courses of the Hague Academy of International Law (Harvard Login) Focus on international law subjects, including legislation and case law. Includes volumes on Limits of Force, Torture and the Geneva Conventions. Published in English or French.

Legislation

• Legislationonline.org "Provides direct access to international norms and standards relating to specific human dimension issues, as well as to domestic legislation and other documents of relevance to these issues." Includes full text access for legislation from both Western and Eastern European countries.
• Proquest Congressional (Harvard Login) Access bills, legislative history, congressional documents of the United States back to 1789 and CRS Reports.

International Courts

• International Court of Justice (ICJ) The principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). The ICJ settles disputes between the States (not individuals).
• International Criminal Court (ICC) The first permanent, treaty based, international criminal court for perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. The ICC is an independent international organization, and is not part of the United Nations system.
• International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) The United Nations court of law dealing with war crimes that took place during the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990’s.
• ESCR Case Law Database Positive domestic, regional and international legal decisions from around the world regarding economic, social and cultural rights. Case summaries primarily in English and Spanish, with a growing number in French and Arabic.
• Child Rights International Network (CHRIN) Includes data, reports, and global coverage of child rights cases.
• Sexual Right Initiative, Law & Policy Database Documents and compares the status of law and policy related to sexual rights issues in different countries around the world

Search using Google conventions (i.e. putting quotation marks around phrases).

Inclusion Policy

Think Tank Search  searches the websites of institutions that generate public policy research, analysis, and activity. These sites are  affiliated with universities, governments, advocacy groups, foundations, and non-governmental organizations .  Inclusion is based upon the relevancy of subject area to HKS coursework and scholarship, the availability of the think tank’s research in full-text on the website, and the think tank’s reputation and influence upon policy making. The list represents a mixture of partisan and non-partisan think tanks.

Other Lists

• Policy File Index (Harvard Login) Abstracts of and links to domestic and international public policy issue published by think tanks, university research programs, & research organizations.
• Policy Commons: Global Think Tanks Collection of research from the world’s leading policy experts, think tanks, IGOs and NGOs. At last count it contains over 3 million publications from more than 24,000 organizations.
• Open Research Reports from JSTOR More than 39,000 research reports from over 140 policy institutes around the world are freely accessible to everyone on JSTOR. The open research reports are discoverable alongside journals, books, and primary sources, and are clearly labeled as their own content type.
• Find Policy A side project of Transparify, search think tank sites grouped by topic and location.
• Open Think Tank Directory A global collection of 2700 think tanks and related organisations.

Repository of think tank publications on EU affairs from the Library of the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU.

• UN Documentation: Human Rights Guide Research Guides on locating UN documents for human rights research. Authored by the UN Library.
• UN Watch A non-governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, whose mandate is to monitor the performance of the United Nations.

Government & Agencies

• US Department of State's Human Rights Reports These reports from the U.S. Department of State cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• EU Agency for Fundamental Rights An EU agency with the task of providing independent, evidence-based advice on fundamental rights. This group issues a number of papers and reports on topics relating to human rights issues in the EU.
• Brill Human Rights Documents (Harvard Login) Database of documents from hundreds of non-governmental human rights organizations. Covers 1980s - present.
• Amnesty International, Annual Reports Searchable website for human rights information by topic or by country. Includes comprehensive annual reports.
• Freedom House Includes reports and annual scores of civil and political rights for most countries
• State of the World's Children Produced by UNICEF, this annual report includes downloadable statistical tables that can be customized.
• Human Rights Watch, World Report Annual report published by Human Rights Watch. Reports provide information on human rights conditions in more than 90 countries. Includes archive of reports from 1989 to present.
• Refugees International Advocating for lifesaving assistance and protection for displaced people and promotes solutions to displacement crises. Includes in depth reports on displacement issues in specific countries and regions.
• Norweigian Refugee Council, Publications Includes, news, reports, evaluations on displaced and vulnerable people in crisis.

UN Agencies

Several UN agencies research, collect and publish information on human trafficking issues. Below are listed the major UN agencies that focus on this issue.

• UN, Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Human Trafficking Knowledge Portal Disseminates information regarding the implementation of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and specifically the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Includes a case law database on officially documented instances of trafficking and searchable legislation database.
• Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) The United Nations office with primary responsibility for promoting and protecting Human Rights. The Office's Special Rapportuer on Human Trafficking produces annual reports and other reports and recommendations
• International Labour Organization Brings together representatives of governments, employers and workers to jointly shape policies and programs relating to labor issues. Reports and data on human trafficking, which includes sex trafficking as a subset by country and geographic region. Use search terms like forced labour in the search box.

US Government Agencies

• US Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report Annual report summarizing trafficking issues by Country including data, analysis and policy recommendations. Countries are assigned one of three tiers based on the extent of their governments’ efforts to comply with the “minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.”

Non-Governmental Organizations

• Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Includes news stories and reports on human trafficking in East and West European countries.
• Polaris Project A leading advocacy group for ending human trafficking. The organization advocates for stronger laws against human trafficking organizations and provide services to victims of trafficking.

Harvard Kennedy School

• Carr Center, Violence Against Women Publications Database Curated by staff at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, this database provides access to hundreds of articles, research papers, presentations, news and other resources relevant to the topic of Violence Against Women (VAW).
• GenderWatch (Harvard Login) Provides abstracts and the full text of some 175 academic and scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, regional publications, books, booklets and pamphlets, conference proceedings, and government, non-governmental organization, and special reports.
• World Bank, Gender Data Portal Statistics by country and topic. Includes useful links for more data sources.
• Harvard Law Library, Research Guides Authored by Harvard Law Librarians, select the Human Rights and International Law categories to find a variety of specialized research guides on related topics.
• Last Updated: Jul 19, 2023 4:59 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.harvard.edu/hks/human_rights

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Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

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Human Rights

What are americans’ top foreign policy priorities.

The majority of Americans say preventing terrorism and reducing the flow of illegal drugs into the country are top foreign policy priorities.

How COVID-19 Restrictions Affected Religious Groups Around the World in 2020

Nearly a quarter of countries used force to prevent religious gatherings during the pandemic; other government restrictions and social hostilities related to religion remained fairly stable.

Methodology

Results presented in this data essay are drawn from nationally representative surveys conducted over the past 20 years in more than 60 countries.

How Global Public Opinion of China Has Shifted in the Xi Era

The Chinese Communist Party is preparing for its 20th National Congress, an event likely to result in an unprecedented third term for President Xi Jinping. Since Xi took office in 2013, opinion of China in the U.S. and other advanced economies has turned more negative. How did it get to be this way?

Negative Views of China Tied to Critical Views of Its Policies on Human Rights

Large majorities in most of the 19 countries surveyed have negative views of China, but relatively few say bilateral relations are bad.

Fast facts about views of China ahead of the 2022 Beijing Olympics

Here are recent findings about Americans’ views of the diplomatic boycott and how people in the U.S. and around the world see China.

More adults approve than disapprove of U.S. diplomatic boycott of Olympics; few have heard much about it

About nine-in-ten U.S. adults (91%) say they have heard little (46%) or nothing at all (45%) about the diplomatic boycott of the Olympics.

Large Majorities Say China Does Not Respect the Personal Freedoms of Its People

Unfavorable views of China also hover near historic highs in most of the 17 advanced economies surveyed.

Most Americans Support Tough Stance Toward China on Human Rights, Economic Issues

Fewer adults have confidence in Joe Biden to handle the U.S.-China relationship than other foreign policy issues.

International Cooperation Welcomed Across 14 Advanced Economies

The United Nations is broadly credited with promoting peace and human rights as younger adults are more supportive of cooperation with other countries.

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HIS 100 - Perspectives in History

Inequality and human rights.

Image by Markus Spiske, retrieved via Unsplash

The concept of inequality and humans rights is an issue that dates far back into the depths of human history. If this is an area of interest to you, please select one of the three historical events on the menu to the left for your course work. Below you can learn more about each topic first by clicking on the title. 

Tulsa Massacre This link opens in a new window

Wounded Knee Occupation This link opens in a new window

Stonewall Rebellion This link opens in a new window

Each of these topics listed above are linked to a Research Starter, which is a  tertiary source . Tertiary sources are great to get background information on a topic, but these are not meant to be cited in your assignment. Once you click on the topic of your choice from the menu, you will find a number of primary and secondary sources to use in your assignment. Read through each source to learn more about your chosen historical event. 

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177 Human Rights Research Topics: Bright Ideas List 2023

Do you have a college research project or thesis on human rights and have been wondering how to prepare a good paper? You need a number of things, such as good research, analytical, and writing skills. However, the first step is getting the right topic. This is very challenging for most students, but we are here to help. This post provides a 177 human rights topics list that you can count on for the best grade. We will also tell you how to craft a great university human rights dissertation.

A Brief about Human Rights

Human rights are the basic freedoms and rights that belong to all persons in the globe, starting from birth to death. These rights apply irrespective of where you are, personal beliefs, or the way you decide to live your life. They cannot be taken away but can be restricted in some cases, such as if you break the law.

The basic rights are anchored on shared values, such as dignity, fairness, equality, independence, and respect. They are all protected by law. Because of their wide applications in areas such as the justice system and employment-related topics, you can expect to get many related school assignments and projects on it.

How to Write a Good Human Rights Thesis or Dissertation

Before we can look at the best human rights thesis topics, let’s look at the best process of writing it. This can be divided into six main steps:

• Identify the study topic in line with your class teacher/professor’s recommendations. You can use our list of basic human rights topics that comes shortly after this guide.
• Research the topic well to ensure it has ample resources. Then, identify the main points that will be covered during the study. It will be good to think about the entire dissertation right from the start because all parts are interconnected.
• Develop a thesis statement. This is very important because it will be tested after analyzing the results.
• Develop a good structure for the thesis. This is the outline that will guide you on what to include at what point. Carefully look at the current recommendation from your school. One of the best outlines you might want to consider include:

Introduction Literature review Methodology Results Analysis and discussion Conclusion Bibliography

• Prepare the first draft.
• Write the final draft by redefining the first draft. At this point, it will be a good idea to consider editing services from experts.

Next, we will highlight the main topics that you should consider in human rights. However, we’d like to remind that you can only pay for thesis and not waste your time over a tone of assignments.

Top Human Rights Research Topics

• How does social discrimination impact people living with HIV/AIDS?
• Same-sex marriage: Why is it more social compared to religious significance?
• A review of international reaction to sweatshops in Asian countries.
• A closer look at the flaws of morals for kids raised in the US compared to those brought up in Japan.
• A comprehensive review of the employment problem arising from the surge of the immigrant population.
• Human rights violations in a country of choice: How has it impacted its image?
• War against terrorism: How is it impacting human rights?
• Should prisoners retain their voting rights?
• Should the US cut trade ties with countries that grossly violate human rights?
• Universal human rights: Are they achievable in the modern world?
• Is there a point where human rights can be justified in the interest of national security?
• Use of cameras in public places: Do they violate human rights?
• Non-governmental organizations’ operations: Are they strong enough to help protect human rights?
• Promotion of human rights: Should it be the first priority for every government?
• Capitalistic systems: Do they defend or violate human rights?
• Comparing the policies for human rights protection of the United States and India.
• A review of human rights violations during the 2021 US army withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• Should the US be held accountable for the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945?
• Human rights in the US and Latin America: A comparison.
• Compare two historical human rights portraits in the 20 th century.

Argumentative Human Rights Topics

• Is violation of human rights allowed during times of war?
• Circumcision of infants: Does it violate their human rights?
• Should women and men have varying rights?
• What is the link between human rights and traditions?
• Capital punishment: Should it be considered a violation of human rights?
• Right for freedom to education: Should it be made available for all?
• Social media networking services: Should they guarantee privacy for all the clients.
• Is the US policy on immigration discriminatory?
• Interest of states: Should it take precedence over an individual’s human rights?
• Developed countries have a duty to promote human rights in the developing states.
• Pet ownership should be considered a universal human right.
• Childhood concept differs from one culture to another: Should the notion of child labor also vary?
• What are inappropriate ways of fighting for human rights?
• Development of a country: Does it depend on the country’s defense of human rights?
• From a human rights perspective, which is the most important amendment to the US constitution?
• Comparing Apartheid and Holocaust: Has justice been done for the victims.
• Human rights in the 21 st century: Is the globe doing enough to address the crisis in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia and Afghanistan?
• What are the most important lessons on human rights from World War II?
• Human rights violations in West Bank: Has the globe done enough?

International Human Rights Topics

• What does the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines tell us about human rights internationally?
• A review of cases of human rights in the United States between the 1950 and 2000.
• Analyze the impacts of discrimination based on color and race.
• A thematic review of modern human rights movements.
• Trace the evolution of human rights starting from the ancient times to the age of globalization.
• What is the relationship between human rights and peace in a country? A case study of the Netherlands.
• Disability in the UK is under attack: Discuss.
• Who should people running away from human rights violations turn to?
• Is it appropriate to deny human rights on the basis of religion and gender?
• Violation of human rights in North Korea: How is the developed world preparing to tackle it?
• Violation of human rights in Venezuela: Should the United States get involved?
• The right to stay silent in a court of law: How is this likely to affect the accused person?
• What are the best remedies for addressing violations of women’s rights in the Middle East?
• Will the world ever get to a point where people will live without worrying about human rights violations?
• What makes it so difficult to introduce gun control in the United States?
• Who should be held responsible for cases of mass shootings in schools?

Controversial Human Rights Topics

• What are the similarities and differences between human and civil rights?
• Evaluate the violation of human rights in Syria in the 21 st century.
• Police-related human rights violation: How can we prevent it?
• Should prisoners have a right to vote?
• Assisted euthanasia is a violation of human rights: Discuss.
• Should persons who try to take their own lives be charged in a court of law?
• What is the best way to punish states for violating human rights?
• Countries arming themselves with nuclear weapons are readying to violate human rights.
• How effective are laws on domestic violence in the UK?
• All cases of human abuses in history should be tried and concluded.
• Is the UN doing enough to protect human rights?
• Holocaust: Is it possible for the world to heal completely?
• Do you think that the Rwanda Genocide could have been avoided?
• It is time to act: How do you think the global community should handle the problem of immigrants trying to cross from Africa into Europe?
• The hidden danger of not addressing bullying in school.
• Is disciplining a child a violation of human rights?
• Are correctional facilities doing enough to correct the behavior of inmates?
• Is imprisonment enough to punish murder criminals?
• Making a case for life imprisonment and the death penalty for murder criminals.
• Is abortion a violation of human rights?

Human Rights Discussion Topics

• What is your view on the famous revolt of the Cockroach People?
• Discuss the outcomes of the LGBT movements in the 20 th century.
• A deeper look into civil rights movements from Malcolm X point of view.
• Interaction between Japan and China during WWII: How did it impact human rights issues in the two states?
• Discuss the biggest human rights violations in South Africa after Apartheid.
• UN Refugee program: How does it help enhance refugees’ welfare across the globe?
• French Revolution and human rights: A thematic review.
• Human rights in medieval Europe.
• Human Rights Act in New Zealand in 1993: What is its significance?
• Which human rights did women across the globe find hard to access in the 20 th century?
• Police brutality in Brazil: Are the efforts taken by the government enough?
• Discuss transgender rights in Europe.
• A review of transgender human rights issues in the United States.
• Disability rights in the UK.
• Comparing disability policies in the US and India.
• Racial profiling by police.
• What are the roots of racism in the United States?
• Review the Trail of Broken Treaties.
• A deeper look at the Chattel Slavery in the Colonial America.
• Review the African-American male experience.
• Reviewing the history of the Bill of Rights in the United States.
• Analyzing the American Indian Movement: How does it compare with other human rights movements?
• Human rights in modern cinema: How are whites and people of color-treated?

Interesting Civil Rights Topics

• Black Power Movement: How did it impact the Black Lives Matter in 2020 and 2021?
• Are the 20 th Century civil rights movements sustainable?
• Comparing women rights movements in 2020 and the 20 th century.
• How did Martin Luther influence the civil rights approaches that came after him?
• Comparing the scientific Revolution, Reformation and Renaissance movements’ impacts on western thought.
• Protestant Reformation: Discuss how Catholic Church’s corruption and crusaders of war contributed towards its formation.
• A closer look at the human rights movements during the Industrial Revolution of between 1760 and 1840.
• How did the teachings of the American Revolution help the secession movement and Civil War?
• How did Teddy Roosevelt impact the progressive movement?
• The impact of communism impacts world history.
• The location of a civil movement is the most important thing in its success: Discuss.
• What made people start nationalist movement in Prussia?
• Discuss the results of anti-nationalist movements in New York.
• Female and Islam oppression on the globe.
• Reinventing a revolution: A closer look at the Zapatista Movement.
• What is the link between music, protest, and justice?
• Confederate Flag: Is it a symbol of oppression?
• Review the voting rights of 1965.
• The West Memphis Three.

Special Human Rights Debate Topics

• Women rights in the first half and second half 20 th century.
• Legalization of same sex marriage and its impact on global fights for human rights.
• Human rights movements in the US and their impact on federal policies.
• International human rights movements: How has it influenced the UK judicial policies?
• Responsibility to protect: How is it related to the issue of human rights?
• Suffrage rights in ancient Greek: A holistic review.
• Human rights presentation in the philosophy of enlightenment.
• Human rights violations during the First World War.
• What are lessons did we learn from Hitler and Holocaust during WWII.
• These five reasons are the main causes of human rights violations in the 21 st century.
• The main causes of gender disparity in the US.
• Comparing the state of human rights in the UK and Qatar.
• Do you think the bible violates human rights?
• Environmental racism: What are the main effects?
• The importance of the judiciary in protecting human rights.
• Women rights in the Roman Empire.
• Segregation is a violation of human rights.
• Discussing critical human rights issues in India.

Unique Human Rights Topics for Research

• The collapse of the Soviet Union and Rise of Communism in Russia.
• Comparing the Pan-African movement to the 20 th -century cultural nationalism of Latin America.
• A review of the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement’s goals and methods.
• Abolition of death penalty: Why it is a major human rights issue.
• Popularity of social media and its impact on human rights. A closer review of Arab countries in North Africa.
• International Calvinism: What was the impact on European Culture?
• Why do other countries not intervene in North Korea where massive abuses of human rights have been reported?
• A statistical review of human trafficking in the 20 th century.
• How can a person as an individual help to promote human rights?
• Utilitarianism contravenes human rights.
• Human rights institutions and their efforts in protecting human rights in Africa.
• Military actions to protect human rights: Does it make sense?
• Black Lives Matter Movement protests: What does the movement say about human rights today?
• Does the UK constitution comprehensively cover the issue of human rights?
• Global manufacturing: How has it impacted the rights of workers?
• Has the International Labor Organization done enough to protect the plight of workers on the globe?
• How does poverty impact human rights in developing countries?

PhD Topics in Human Rights

• A review of the parts of the globe with the worst cases of human rights violation.
• How does the internet promote human trafficking? A thematic review.
• A comprehensive review of factors that impact the outcome of different trials in a court of law.
• Legitimate forms of the death penalty.
• What factors prevent people from getting justice? A literature review.
• A comprehensive review of the impacts of legalizing drug use.
• What factors prevent equal representation of women in top leadership roles in the developing world?
• What are the major problems faced by LGBT couples? Propose possible solutions.
• Racial profiling by police: A case study of Mexico.
• A comparative review of human rights policies of three countries of your choice in Europe.

Other Human Rights Research Paper Topics

• LGBT relationships: Why are they disallowed in some countries?
• Comparing the rights of pets to human rights?
• A review of human rights violations during quarantines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A review of the fundamental principle of the EU Commission of Human Rights.
• Human rights violations in Taiwan.
• What is the link between ecological problems and human rights problems?
• Evaluate the most frequently violated human right in your workplace.
• What is the UK policy on refugees?
• A closer review of transgender rights in Europe.
• Discuss physical abuses in marriage in the UK.
• Evaluate the amendment of laws in France to suit LGBT relationships.
• Prisoners of war: Do they deserve human rights protection?
• Discuss the strategies used by the two countries with the best human rights records.
• Comparing the human rights institutions in Africa to those in Asia.
• Violation of human rights in Crimea in 2014: Were the remedies enough?

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As Putin continues killing civilians, bombing kindergartens, and threatening WWIII, Ukraine fights for the world's peaceful future.

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Carr Center for Human Rights Policy launches advocate training and research program to combat LGBTQI+ persecution worldwide

The new Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program was the brainchild of activist Diego Garcia Blum MPP 2021, who will be its director.

Diego Garcia Blum MPP 2021 was working for the U.S.-based Human Rights Campaign when he met another activist from his native Colombia, a mother whose son had committed suicide after being bullied at school for being gay. He says the meeting prompted two powerful realizations—the first was that he could have been that young man had his parents not immigrated to the United States years earlier. The second was that his advocacy efforts were needed abroad at least as much as they were in America.

“I really just felt that, while we need to fight for change here, we can't forget there are so many people out there in the world who are living in societies that completely misunderstand them,” Garcia Blum said. “They’re living in places where coming out means losing your family and getting persecuted by your government or being put in jail, or killed by a family member, or losing any kind of career.”

This month, Garcia Blum’s spark of an idea became a reality—he is now director of the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program based at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at HKS. The program has three major objectives:

• Training advocates for LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer, intersex, and other) people from around the world in best practices
• Conducting research on the best ways to counter misconceptions, misunderstandings, and discrimination involving LGBTQI people, and
• Convening events to raise awareness and facilitate important conversations.

“LGBTQI+ rights are not secured in a large number of countries in the world, and even where things seem good, there often remains a risk of a backlash,” said Mathias Risse , the Berthold Beitz Professor of Human Rights at HKS, who serves as faculty director of both the Carr Center and the new program. “Creating a nexus of activity in this domain is precisely the kind of work the Carr Center ought to be doing.” 

“We can't forget there are so many people out there in the world who are living in societies that completely misunderstand them.”

Diego garcia blum mpp 2021.

The program was developed out of the 2023 LGBTQI+ Activism Summit, which was organized by Garcia Blum and former HKS Lecturer Timothy Patrick McCarthy , who is now faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. McCarthy and Garcia Blum also teach “Queer Nation: LGBTQ Protest, Politics, and Policy in the United States” (DPI-376) , the only HKS  course dedicated to LGBTQ matters.

“The summit was an inspiring catalyst for this expansive new Carr Center program, which we hope will bring new energy and attention to the global movement for LGBTQI+ human rights at a time of great urgency and possibility,” McCarthy said.  

Garcia Blum also worked on developing the program as a Social Change Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) under its outgoing director, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, including finding funding. The program is financially supported by the Open Gate Foundation, the David Bohnett Foundation, and individual donors.

Risse, Garcia Blum, and McCarthy envision establishing the Carr Center as a key international focal point for LGBTQI+ human rights policy, training, ideas, and dialogue that will amplify the impact of activism on the ground and facilitate global collaboration among activists, academics, policymakers, and the media. They said ensuring the safety and well-being of LGBTQI+ people globally is a pressing human rights issue that requires urgent action. In addition to longstanding religious and cultural prejudices, they say LGBTQI+ people face increasing pressure from authoritarian regimes who are taking cues from actions such as Russia's classification of LGBTQI+ groups as extremist and using the suppression of LGBTQI+ rights to tighten their grip on power.  

The 2024 LGBTQI+ Activism Summit is already being planned for October and several new research initiatives are already underway, Garcia Blum said.

Photograph by Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images

More from HKS

Making a movement: diego garcia blum on the global lgbtqi+ human rights movement, tarek zeidan mpa 2018 wants equality for lgbtq+ people in the middle east, systemic discrimination and the lgbtq+ community.

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10 Human Rights Topic Ideas For You To Explore

Are you interested in knowing more about a human rights topic? Maybe you’re in school and need an idea for a project. People hoping to work (or currently working) in the human rights field also need to know about emerging trends. Even if your career isn’t in human rights, these topics are still relevant. Whether you want to volunteer with an organization, raise awareness about an issue, or simply know more about what’s going on, understanding the state of human rights is important. It’s the first step to defending rights and making the world a better place for everyone. Here are ten human rights topic ideas to explore:

#1. Gender inequality

Gender inequality is an evergreen human rights topic. Because it has such a long history, we have a good idea of what works and what still needs to be done. Issues like the gender pay gap, the distribution of unpaid labor, gender-based violence , gendered job segregation, and women’s empowerment play into the state of inequality. Due to the pandemic, gender parity was set back by about a generation, so how to best respond is also a good topic to explore.

#2. Climate change

The climate crisis is arguably the most globally urgent human rights topic today. Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change consistently confirm that human activity drives climate change. It affects rights like health, housing, food, water, education, and more. It disproportionately affects women, children, older people, minorities, migrants, rural workers, and other vulnerable groups.

#3. Children’s rights

Children often have their human rights violated. This is especially common during times of war, poverty, and other conflicts. The climate crisis represents one of the biggest threats. According to UNICEF , around one billion children are at “extremely high risk.” Kids need adults and organizations committed to speaking up for them and empowering their voices.

#4. The rights of migrants and refugees

More than 280 million people (about 3.6% of the global population) live outside their country of origin, according to the United Nations. Many of those migrants were forced to leave. The reasons vary significantly, but the human rights of migrants and refugees are often threatened. A report by the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the Mixed Migration Centre at the Danish Refugee Council gives us an example. The report detailed how people crossing routes between East and West Africa and Africa’s Mediterranean coast face human rights abuses from smugglers, human traffickers, and State authorities.

#5. Weakening democracy

Freedom in the World 2021 , a report from Freedom House, found that authoritarian actors are becoming more brazen. 73 countries saw their freedom scores decline, including authoritarian states like Belarus and democracies like the United States and India. Considering that 2020 represented the 15th consecutive year of a decline in global freedom, weakening democracy is a disturbing human rights trend.

#6. Reproductive rights in Poland

Reproductive rights are important everywhere, but things are becoming dire in Poland. The country has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe thanks to the Law and Justice Party, which came to power in 2015. As things stand, nearly all abortions are effectively banned. This had led to protests like the massive 2020-2021 Women Strike. Groups supporting women’s rights have received bomb and death threats while individual activists are facing what many see as politically-motivated criminal charges. Anyone invested in reproductive rights should watch what’s happening in Poland.

#7. Disability rights

Due to barriers and discrimination, disabilities make it difficult or impossible for people to participate in the workplace, schools, cultural activities, travel, and so on. As an example, the United States’ confusing Social Security rules can lead to reductions or even a complete loss of benefits for disabled people when they marry. Health insurance can vanish, too. Stigma and ignorance make the world an unjust place, too.

#8. Surveillance technology

Concerns about surveillance are growing in the wake of Covid-19 tracking and monitoring technology. Ethical issues already existed in the use of crime prevention technologies, but the pandemic gave governments a reason to use the tech for another purpose. Employee monitoring, QR codes, facial recognition, drones, data collection, and more can easily start threatening human rights. Surveillance technology everyone. It’s a human rights topic that deserves attention.

#9. Transgender rights

Human rights for trans people were never protected that well, but there’s been a global rollback in recent years. 96 countries allow trans people to legally change their gender, but 71 have what ILGA World (a worldwide federation of organizations campaigning for LGBTQ+ rights) calls prohibitive requirements. There’s also been a weakening of discrimination laws, making the world a more dangerous place for trans people.

#10. Disinformation and misinformation

Propaganda and conspiracy theories have always existed, but technology facilitates the lightning-speed spread of false information. Disinformation is deliberate, but accidentally sharing false information – misinformation – can be just as harmful. False information is a human right issue because it threatens rights like the right to free and fair elections, the right to health, and the right to freedom from discrimination. The global surge of false information regarding Covid-19 is a clear example of the real-world effects. Conspiracy theories about the virus’ origins and false claims about cures and vaccines have led to violence and death .

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About the author, emmaline soken-huberty.

Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. She started to become interested in human rights while attending college, eventually getting a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and climate change are of special concern to her. In her spare time, she can be found reading or enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty with her husband and dog.

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations

Topic portal

Forced labour is a severe violation of human rights affecting 28 million of men, women and children in all countries and all economic sectors. It is rooted in poverty, discrimination and lack of social protection, and it disrupts fair competition between businesses. The issue has been at the heart of the ILO mandate to promote Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, leaving no one behind.

What is forced labour?

Data and research

Our impact, their voices

Forced Labour Observatory

Facts and figures

men, women and children are in forced labour

of forced labour happens in the private economy

236 billion US$

generated in illegal profits every year

countries ratified the ILO Forced Labour Protocol

International Labour Standards on Forced Labour

• Convention No. 29 (C29)
• Convention No. 105 (C105)
• Protocol No. 29 (P29)
• Recommendation 203 (R203)

The Forced Labour Convention (No. 29), adopted in 1930, contains the definition of forced labour and provides that it should be punished as a crime. This is one of the most ratified ILO standards. 

• Text of the Convention
• Ratifications
• Countries that have not ratified yet

The Abolition of Forced Labour Convention (No. 105), adopted in 1957,  deals with state-imposed forms of forced labour. This is one of the most ratified ILO standards. 

The Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention, (P029), adopted in 2014, requires ratifying countries to take effective measures to prevent forced labour, protect victims and ensure their access to justice. 

The Protocol complements the Convention No. 29, therefore only countries that have ratified this Convention can ratify the Protocol. 

• Text of the Protocol

The Forced Labour Recommendation (No. 203), adopted in 2014, provides further guidance on how to implement the Protocol.

It is a non-binding document that does not require ratification. 

• Text of the Recommendation

What can the ILO offer and how?

• Eradicating Forced Labour: Partnering strategically with ILO
• Good practices in addressing Forced Labour (forthcoming)
• Developing National Action Plans on Forced Labour

The Fair Recruitment Initiative

The ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour

8.7 Accelerator Lab

News and articles

Voices against child labour: Celebrating ethical reporting of child labour

Uganda, Malawi, and Kenya sign communique to combat child labour in tea supply chain

Publications

Survey on tenant growers in Malawi’s tobacco industry

Nigeria Forced Labour Survey 2022

8.7 Accelerator Lab: Theory of change for the agriculture sector

Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia - Indonesia

Child labour and forced labour

Multi Partner Fund

Want to know more about Forced Labour? You can contact us at [email protected] and follow us on social media: