LibGuides: Researching International Human Rights Law: Abbreviations

Links to Treaty Sites

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Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
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Includes UN human rights treaties, but excludes regional human rights instruments. Click on “International Law” from the OHCHR homepage. For status on human rights instruments, select the Treaty-based Bodies pages for each committee (http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/Pages/HumanRightsBodies.aspx). For each treaty, there is a link to status and ratification information on the individual pages. Declarations and Reservations are also available for some treaties.
OHCHR Search for Official UN Treaty Documents
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This database was established to monitor the implementation of the principal international human rights treaties. The database provides information on submission of reports by States, documents issued by the treaty bodies and reporting and ratification information. The documents are available as well as status and submission information. Documents can be accessed in a variety of ways (by treaty, country, symbol, etc.).
United Nations Treaty Collection
HeinOnline Treaties and Agreements Library
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Largest and most complete collection of all U.S. treaties and agreements, whether currently in force, expired or not yet officially published. Includes United States Treaties and Other International Agreements set. Features Treaty Metadata Search option.
Electronic Information System for International Law (EISIL)
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American Society of International Law’s EISIL database links to selected human rights treaties.
Human Rights Library (Univ. of Minn.)
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Links to many of the most important human rights treaties. When possible links to authoritative ratification information.
International Labour Org. (ILO) Fundamental Conventions
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Specific to Labor Law
Multilaterals Project (Tufts)
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Ongoing project of Fletcher School to make texts of international multilateral conventions and other instruments available. Focus is on texts from 1945. Includes human rights treaties.
OAS Basic Human Rights Documents
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This site offers signature and ratification information for several of the Inter-American human rights treaties. Unfortunately, it does not offer this information for all of the basic documents on human rights. Other OAS treaty signature and ratification information can be accessed through the Treaties and Agreements section of this site (http://www.oas.org/dil/treaties_and_agreements.htm).
Ratifications - UN Human Rights Treaties
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Provides ratification information by treaty and by state. The information includes the following: 1. whether a state has signed the treaty; 2. whether a state has ratified/acceded/succeeded to the treaty; 3. whether the state has accepted any optional provisions of the treaty; 4. whether the state has ratified/acceded/succeeded to any amendments to the treaty; and 5. whether the state has ratified/acceded/succeeded to any Optional Protocol to a treaty. Limited to the UN human rights treaty system.
Search engine on international human rights and humanitarian law

Abbreviations

CAT - Committee Against Torture
CEDAW - Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
CERD - Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
CESCR - Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
CHR - Commission on Human Rights
CMW - Committee on Migrant Workers
CRC - Committee on the Rights of the Child
CSW - Commission on the Status of Women
DAW - Division for the Advancement of Women
DESA - Department on Economic and Social Affairs
ESC - Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme
HRC - Human Rights Committee
IASC - Inter-Agency Standing Committee
ICJ - International Court of Justice
OCHA - Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
OHCHR - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
OSAGI - Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women
UNAIDS - Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNGA - General Assembly of the United Nations
UNHCR - United Nationals High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fun
UNIFEM - United Nations Development Fund for Women
UNIFPA - United Nations Population Fund
UNMA - United Nations Mine Action
UNTS - United Nations Treaty Series
WHO - World Health Organization