Research Guides: UN Human Rights Documentation: Introduction

UN Documentation Research Guides

Human Rights Documentation

Human rights are fundamental to the United Nations. The Preamble of the UN Charter states:

We the peoples of the United Nations [are] determined... to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.

One of the early acts of the General Assembly was to draft and adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, resolution 217 A of 10 December 1948.

More recent UN actions include the adoption of international human rights treaties, the creation of the position of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 1993 and the establishment of the Human Rights Council in 2006. There is on-going discussion about how to reform the treaty-body system.

During its 60th session, the General Assembly adopted the World Summit Outcome, resolution 60/1 of 16 September 2005, which called, inter alia, for strengthening of the UN's human rights mechanisms. Reform of the human rights mechanisms is ongoing and the documentation is changing to reflect the changes. This guide provides an overview of current practice, as well as guidance on the historical documentation.

The UN Yearbook on Human Rights was published for the years 1946-1988.

UN Resources

Specialized Human Rights Documentation Databases

UN OHCHR - Charter-based Body Database
OHCHR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) maintained database including documents for the Human Rights Council, its predecessor and their subsidiaries and parent organs.
UN OHCHR - Treaty Body Database
Includes documents submitted to any of the UN human rights treaty monitoring bodies. Filter by convention, country, type of document, document symbol, and/or date.
UN OHCHR - Universal Human Rights Index This link opens in a new window
Provides access to country-related documents submitted to any of the UN human rights bodies, including the special procedures.
UN OHCHR - Universal Periodic Review Database
Includes documents submitted to the UPR as well as related material; Search by session or by country.

General Websites and Databases

Official Document System (ODS)
United Nations official document system: provides full text search of documents issued since 1993; resolutions of all principal organs & Security Council plenary documents since 1946. Older documents are added regularly. Includes the Daily Journals of New York and Geneva.
UN Digital Library
The United Nations Digital Library (UNDL) includes UN documents, voting data, speeches, maps, and open access publications. The platform provides access to UN-produced materials in digital format and bibliographic records for print UN documents starting in 1979. System features include linked data between related documentation such as resolutions, meeting records and voting, and refining of searches by UN body, agency or type of document.

Publications

Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs
Analytical studies of the decisions of the UN principal organs under each of the Articles of the Charter ; Comprehensive summary of the decisions of United Nations Organs, together with review of related material, organized by Charter Articles.

UN Yearbook / United Nations
Date: 1946-
Principal reference work of the UN; provides a detailed overview of the Organization's activities during the course of a year. All the Yearbooks are available online. They provide citation to the documentation and include the full text of resolutions.