CGLJ Resource Hub

Introduction

The Center for Global Law and Justice (CGLJ) is honored to serve as the new host of the extensive collection of human rights resources developed and hosted by the International Justice Resource Center (IJRC) from 2010 and 2024. Please see our Tribute to IJRC for more information about the critical role of the IJRC in the creation, curation, and organization of the materials on this site.

As we move forward, CGLJ will continue to support the human rights work of advocates, scholars, students, and journalists by updating the resources currently available on the site. In addition, CGLJ is drawing upon the expertise available at the Northeastern University School of Law and at the global campuses of Northeastern University to identify new areas of growth for this resource hub and to provide new categories of information (e.g., information about promoting human rights at the subnational level, information about human rights and Sustainable Development Goals). CGLJ is committed to serving and supporting a worldwide community of individuals and organizations devoted to the protection and promotion of human rights.

The site contains resources about human rights law and related areas of law, human rights oversight (i.e., the bodies and mechanisms responsible for monitoring the implementation of human rights law), and news and events related to human rights law and oversight. The site also includes a repository of publications and media that provide substantive information about human rights research and advocacy.

Our hope is that individuals and organizations will use the resources on this site:

• To learn about human rights law and human rights oversight,
• To guide research and advocacy efforts, and
• To stay informed about developments in human rights law and oversight.

Human Rights Law

• Overview of the Human Rights Framework is an essay that explains the relationship between, and motivations behind, the various human rights tribunals and oversight mechanisms.
• Guide to Researching International Human Rights Law is a comprehensive guide “intended to identify, and guide researchers in using, online repositories of information and documents necessary for understanding international human rights law, including jurisprudence and soft law.” A companion video provides an introduction to international human rights law and an overview of the guide.
• Thematic Research Guides focus on distinct human rights protected under international law. Completing a full range of such guides is an ongoing project at CGLJ.
• Resource and Advocacy Tools provide more in-depth information in the following categories (1) International Human Rights Instruments, (2) Jurisprudence and Document Database, (3) Books and Articles, (4) Human Rights Conditions, (5) Civil Society Organizations, and (6) Sustainable Development Goals.
• Related Areas of Law collect information about the following areas.
  • International Criminal Law. These resources shed light on the relationships among international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and criminal law. Detailed information is provided about the International Criminal Court, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), and the internationalized criminal tribunals.
  • International Humanitarian Law. These resources address the body of law (also known as “laws of war” and the “law of armed conflict”) that governs armed conflicts and occupations.
  • Refugee and Asylum Law. These resources address the international law governing asylum and refugee claims, and its relationship to international human rights protection and national immigration policies

Human Rights Oversight

• Overview information is available about the jurisdiction of oversight bodies including the United Nations, human rights treaties, and the functions of the key human rights treaty bodies.
• In addition, a Quick Reference Chart provides an overview of (1) principle UN and regional human rights oversight bodies, (2) their composition, (3) the core substantive treaties for which these bodies are responsible, (4) the treaties’ short names (5) the competencies of the oversight bodies, and (5) links to additional information.
• United Nations. Detailed information is available on the United Nations’ role in the oversight of human rights law in general, the UN Human Rights Council (including information about Special Procedures and Universal Periodic Review), and Human Rights Treaty Bodies.
• Regional Oversight. Information is available about the regional human rights oversight mechanisms established in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa.
• National Oversight. Detailed information is available about the ways in which human rights can be enforced at the national level. Topics addressed include (1) National Courts, (2) National Human Rights Institutes, (3) Truth & Reconciliation Commissions, and (4) Universal Jurisdiction.
• Subnational Oversight. Information is available about (1) Local Human Rights Commissions, (2) Voluntary Local Reviews, (3) Human Rights Cities, and (4) Cities for CEDAW.
• Other International Oversight. Information is available about (1) the International Court of Justice, (2) the International Criminal Court, (3) the ICTR, (4) the ICTY, (5) Internationalized Criminal Tribunals, (6) the International Labour Organization, (7) and Courts and Tribunals of Regional Economic Communities.
• Hearings & Sessions. (Coming soon!) Visit the calendar for information on upcoming events held by international human rights institutions and organizations.

News & Events

• Newsroom. Stay informed about human rights conditions, legal and policy developments, and the activities of human rights oversight bodies in the Newsroom.
• Events. Visit the Hearings & Sessions calendar (coming soon) for information on upcoming events held by international human rights organization and learn about events held by the Center for Global Law and Justice in Boston, Massachusetts, and online.

Publications & Media

• Publications. Consult the IJRC’s Guide to Researching International Human Rights Law, Country Factsheets and other guides and reports for human rights advocates.
• Media. Access helpful videos: (1) the IJRC Interview Series, which showcases the work of human rights defenders around the world; (2) IJRC educational videos about advocacy before the Inter-American human rights system; and (3) an IJRC training session from June 2013, The International Human Rights Framework: Opportunities for Civil Rights & Social Justice Advocates.