This resource guide is intended to help you find United Nations Treaties on human rights, including the rights of the child, violence against women, and international criminal law.

Tip: The best place to start your search is the UN Treaty Collection.

United Nations Treaty Databases

• United Nations International Law
• UN Treaty Collection
• UN Charter
• UN Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT)
• UN Office of Legal Affairs (OLA)

International Courts, Tribunals, and Commissions

• UN Courts and Tribunals: ICC, ICTY, ICTR
• Comparison of the ICJ and the ICC
• United Nations Courts and Tribunals
• International Court of Justice (ICJ)
• International Criminal Court (ICC)
• Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC)
• Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1 July 2002)
• European Court of Human Rights
• Inter-American Court of Human Rights
• Inter-American Commission of Human Rights
• Inter-American Commission of Women
• African Commission on Human and People's Rights

Basic Human Rights Treaties

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (10 December 1948)
• Geneva Convention I - wounded in the field (21 October 1950)
• Geneva Convention II - wounded at sea (21 October 1950)
• Geneva Convention III - prisoners of war (21 October 1950)
• Geneva Convention IV - civilians (21 October 1950)
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (23 March 1976)
• Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (23 March 1976)
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) (3 January 1976)
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
• Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (12 January 1951)
• Convention against Torture (26 June 1987)

Women's Rights

Legal Instruments and Declarations

• Convention on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (1993) (legally binding to parties that ratify the treaty. The United States signed the treaty on July 17, 1980 but has not ratified the treaty. See my blog on pending treaties in the United States.)
• United Nations General Assembly Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (A/RES/48/104). (The Declaration is not legally binding.)
• The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995

United Nations Agencies and Programs

• "Women Watch" (UN portal on women's rights throughout the UN system)
• UN General Assembly
• UN Security Council
• UN Secretary-General's Campaign to End Violence Against Women
• UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• UN Human Rights Council
• UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
• UN Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW)
• UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
• UN Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE)
• UN, Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI)

Organizations Working to Advance Women's Rights

• Amnesty International
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW)
• Human Rights Watch (HRW)
• International Association of Women Judges
• Vital Voices Campaign
• Women for Women International

Children

Rights of the Child

• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
• Convention on the Rights of the Child (2 countries signed, 192 ratified)
• Protocol: Rights of the child in armed conflict (117 countries signed, 88 ratified)
• Protocol: Rights of the child on sale, prostitution, porn (110 countries signed, 87 ratified)

Refugees

UN General Assembly Resolution

• World Refugee Day, Resolution 55/76

International Treaties and Declarations

• United Nations Refugee Convention (28 July 1951)
• Protocol to United Nations Refugee Convention (New York Protocol) (1967)
• Constitution of the International Refugee Organization (20 August 1948)
• Organisation of African Unity Convention on Refugees (10 September 1969)
• European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950)
• Cartagena Declaration on Refugees (22 November 1984) (Spanish)
• San Jose Declaration on Refugees and Displaced Persons (7 December 1994)
• Mexico Declaration on Refugees (16 November 2004)

International Treaties - Civilians in Conflict

• Geneva Convention, Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (21 October 1950)

International Treaties - Human Trafficking, Prostitution, Discrimination

• Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women of Full Age (1933)
• Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (25 July 1951)
• Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children (1921)
• Protocol to Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic (12 November 1947)
• Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993)
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979)

International Treaties - Children in Conflict

• Convention on the Rights of the Child (2 countries signed, 192 ratified)
• Protocol: Rights of the child in armed conflict (117 countries signed, 88 ratified)
• Protocol: Rights of the child on sale, prostitution, porn (110 countries signed, 87 ratified)
• Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children (1921)
• Protocol to Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children (12 November 1947)

UN Programs and Agencies

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
• UNICEF
• UNHCR Women's Rights
• United Nations Inter-agency Network on Women Equality

Organizations (NGOs)

• U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• International Rescue Committee (IRC)
• European Council on Refugees and Exiles
• British Refugee Council
• International Federation of Red Cross
• Refugees International
• Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children
• USA for UNHCR
• InterAction

Institutes

• Project on Internally Displaced Persons The Brookings Institution, USA
• Institute for the Study of International Migration Georgetown University, USA
• Centre for the Study of Forced Migration University of Dar Es-Salaam, Tanzania
• Centre for Refugee Studies York, Canada

Employment Opportunities in Refugee and Humanitarian Aid

• International Rescue Committee - Positions Worldwide
• European Council on Refugees and Exiles - Internships and Vacancies

Volunteer Opportunities in Refugee and Humanitarian Aid

• International Federation of Red Cross
• Ghana, Budumburam Refugee Camp
• Ghana, Refugee Law Project

Donate to Organizations Providing Aid to Refugees

• Unite for Sight
• United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
• UNICEF