International Human Rights Law: Regional Human Rights Systems
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Customary International Law and other Non-Treaty Standards | UN Human Rights System | Inter-American Human Rights System | European Human Rights System | African Human Rights System | ASEAN Human Rights System | Commonwealth Standards | LRWC Human Rights Education Portal
Inter-American Human Rights System of the Organizations of American States (OAS)
The Organization of American States (OAS), comprised of 35 member States, was formed in April 1948. Canada became a permanent observer in 1972 and joined as a member State 8 January 1990 by ratifying the OAS Charter. As a State Party to the OAS Charter, Canada is obliged to observe the human rights obligations set out in the Charter, which the Inter-American Commission has stated are represented by the American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man. Canada has not ratified the American Convention on Human Rights (American Convention) or the Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Protocol Of San Salvador). The Inter-American Commission has ruled that the American Declaration must be interpreted in light of developments in the overall body of international human rights law, including the American Convention and jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court. The Inter-American Commission has described the American Convention as representing “an authoritative expression of the fundamental principles set forth in the American Declaration.”
- Inter-American Human Rights System webpage
- American Declaration on the Rights and Duties Of Man, Adopted by the Ninth International Conference of American States, Bogotá, Colombia, 1948.
- American Convention on Human Rights, in force 18 July 1978.
- Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
- Inter-American Court of Human Rights
- Loyola Law School Inter-American Court of Human Rights Project Database and Journal
European Human Rights System
- European Human Rights System of the Council of Europe
- European Convention on Human Rights
- European Social Charter
- European Court of Human Rights including case-law.
- Commissioner for Human Rights which has a mandate for promoting awareness of and respect for human rights in the 47 Council of Europe member states.
African Human Rights System
- African [Banjul] Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, adopted June 27, 1981, OAU Doc. CAB/LEG/67/3 rev. 5, 21 I.L.M. 58 (1982), entered into force Oct. 21, 1986.
- African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights including information about petitions, special mandates.
- African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights
ASEAN Human Rights System
- Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism
- ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR)
- ASEAN Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) (Terms of Reference [pdf]), 2010.
- ASEAN Human Rights Charter. (Please see the joint statement of NGOs raising concern about the AHRC, which is inconsistent with several international human rights standards.)
Commonwealth Human Rights Documents
- Commonwealth Secretariat: Human Rights home page
- The Harare Commonwealth Declaration Issued by Heads of Government in Harare, Zimbabwe on 20 October 1991
- Commonwealth (Latimer House) Principles on the Three Branches of Government. Commonwealth principles setting out the relationship between parliament, the judiciary and the executive in member countries.