The United Nations and Human Rights: A Guide for a New Era

Julie Mertus’ highly acclaimed text continues to be the only completely up-to-date comprehensive yet succinct guide to the United Nations human rights system.

Today, virtually all UN bodies and specialized agencies are undertaking efforts to incorporate the promotion or protection of human rights into their programs and activities. The United Nations and Human Rights examines these recent initiatives within the broader context of human rights practice, including the promotion of individual rights, management of international conflict and the advancement of agendas of social movements.

The fully revised and updated second edition not only provides a complete guide to the development, structure and procedures within the UN human rights system, but also reflects the vital changes that have occurred within the UN system, devoting considerable attention to expanding the range of issues discussed, including:

• new developments in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
• the current controversy surrounding the new Human Rights Council
• expanded treatment of economic and social rights.

A superb addition to any human rights syllabus, this book maintains its position as essential reading for students and practitioners of human rights, international relations and international law.

Julie Mertus is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the MA program in Ethics, Peace and Global Affairs at American University, Washington DC, USA. She is author or editor of over two dozen academic articles and six books including Bait and Switch: Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Policy (Routledge, 2004) which was named "human rights book of the year" by the American Political Science Association Human Rights Section.