Atty.

Glenda Litong
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW & INTERNATIONAL
HUMANITARIAN LAW
Session 1:
I. What is international human rights law?
1.1 What are its history and philosophy
Hurst, Hannum, S. James Anaya & Dinah L. Shelton, International Human
Rights: Problems of Law, Policy, and Practice (5th ed. 2011) Accessed at
http://scholarship.law.gwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1238&context=faculty_publications
Kenneth Cmiel, The Recent History of Human Rights, The American
Historical Review, Vo. 109, No. 1(Feb. 2004), pp.117-135. Accessed at
http://clas.uiowa.edu/files/history/'Recent%20History%20of%20Human
%20Rights'%20AHR%20Feb04.pdf
Jerome J. Shestack, The Philosophic Foundations of Human Rights, Human
Rights Quarterly 20.2 (1998) 201-231. Accessed at
http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=K8oRZgvG4kC&hl=de&pg=PA29&source=gbs_navlinks_s&redir_esc=y#v=onep
age&q&f=false
https://muse.jhu.edu/login?
auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/human_rights_quarterly/v020/
20.2shestack.html
http://www.princeton.edu/~bsimpson/Human
%20Rights/articles/Shestack,%20Philosophical%20Foundation%20of
%20Human%20Rights.htm (link not working, cant find another
source)
Amartya Sen, Elements of a Theory of Human Rights, Philosophy & Public
Affairs 32, no. 4 (Blackwell Publising, Inc., 2004). Accessed at
http://www.mit.edu/~shaslang/mprg/asenETHR.pdf

Sammy Adelman, Culture, Universality and Human Rights in the twenty-first

century, PLJ, Volume 70, No. 2 December 1995.
FILARTIGA v. PENA-IRALA CASE 630 f.2D 876 (2D Cir. 1980)

Assignment: Using the above as references, prepare a paper of not less than 2,000
words reflecting on the following article, to be submitted in the next session:
Eric Posner, The Case Against Human Rights, The Guardian (4 December 2014).
Accessed at http://www.theguardian.com/news/2014/dec/04/-sp-case-against-humanrights
1.2 Whare its institutions and structures?: The process of internationalization.
1.2.1 The United Nations and its Human Rights Treaty Bodies

Study these sites:

http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/structure/index.shtml
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/Pages/HumanRightsBodies.aspx
1.2.1.1

What are the protection mechanisms addressing alleged human rights

violation in the UN System?
Charter-based: Human Rights Council (Read:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/AboutCounc
il.aspx
Universal Periodic Review (UPR) (Read: Report of the
Working Group on the Philippines 2nd UPR, http://daccessddsny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G12/151/22/PDF/G1215122.pdf
?OpenElement)

Special Procedures (Read:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Introduction.as
px

Complaint Procedure (Read:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/ComplaintProcedu
re/Pages/HRCComplaintProcedureIndex.aspx)

1.2.1.1.1

Treaty Monitoring bodies

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/Pages/HumanRightsBodies.a
spx
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CCPR/Pages/CCPRIntro.asp
x

1.2.1.1.2

Mechanisms specific to marginalized groups

1.2.2 Regional Protection Mechanisms

1.2.2.1
Inter American HR System
http://www.hrea.org/index.php?doc_id=413 European HR System
http://www.hrea.org/index.php?doc_id=365
http://www.ihrc.ie/training/resources/humanrightsrefe.html
1.2.2.2
African HR System: http://www.achpr.org/about/african-hr-systemguide/
Session 2:
1.3 What are the normative instruments?
Amitai Etzioni, The Normativity of Human Rights is Self-evident, Human
Rights Quarterly 32 (The John Hopkins University Press, 2010). Accessed
at http://www2.gwu.edu/~ccps/etzioni/documents/Normativity%20of
%20Human%20Rights.pdf

1.3.1

Koh, Harold Hongju (1999) How Is International Human Rights Law

Enforced?, Indiana Law Journal: Vol 74: Iss. 4, Article 9. Accessed at
http://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/ilj/vol74/iss4/9
The UDHR, International Bill of Rights and the 8 Conventions
Read the texts of the instruments, including Optional Protocols:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CoreInstruments.aspx

1.3.2 Interpretations of Treaty-Monitoring Bodies

Dinah Shelton, The Legal Status of Normative Pronouncements of Human
Rights Treaty Bodies, in 1 COEXISTENCE, COOPERATION AND
SOLIDARITY 553-75 (Holger P. Hestermeyer et. al. Eds., 2011). Accessed at
http://scholarship.law.gwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1387&context=faculty_publications
Read the following General Comments:

HRC GENERAL COMMENT 6 (1982) The right to life (article 6)

HRC Draft General Comment No. 35 (2013) Liberty and security of person
(Article 9)
CESCR General Comment No. 4 (1991) the right to adequate housing
CESCR General Comment No. 7 (1997) the right to adequate housing
forced evictions (art.11.1)
CESCR General Comment No. 12 (1999) the right to adequate food
CEDAW General recommendations No. 12 (1989) & 19 (1992) on violence
against women
CRC General Comment No. 13 (2013) on Freedom froom all forms of
violence