Christof Heyns – författare

The six main United Nations human rights treaties enjoy almost universal ratification today. Almost 80 per cent of the possible ratifications have been made, and every Member State of the UN has ratified at least one of these treaties. The nearly universal acceptance of the treaties on the formal level, however, does not automatically translate into the norms contained in these documents being made a reality in the lives of the billions of people living in these countries. The treaty system is notoriously weak in terms of international enforcement, and there is a general suspicion that it has had little impact at the domestic level. Mechanisms to improve the international enforcement mechanisms of the six main treaties have been a topic of discussion and research for many years, but the domestic impact of the treaties has never been investigated in a systematic and comprehensive manner. This book constitutes the most ambitious attempt so far to establish the impact of the treaties at the domestic level. The following treaties in 20 United Nations Member States are investigated: the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention Against Torture, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This book reflects the findings of 20 researchers, based in the countries investigated, under the leadership of Professors Christof Heyns and Frans Viljoen of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, in a study done in co-operation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The influence of the treaties in each of the 20 countries is investigated in respect of its influence on the continuation, legislation, court cases, policies and practices, and the impact of the treaty system in civil society. In an overview chapter by the study leaders based on a comparison of the available data, common trends and patterns are identified, and recommendations about reforms on the national and international level are made. This is a book that should be read by all those interested in the development of the international human rights system.

Contrary to popular belief, there is a vast body of law dealing with human rights in Africa in existence today. The first priority at the moment is consequently not the adoption of new norms, or the creation of even more structures, the most immediate challenge lies in making the existing structures work and ensuring compliance with the norms already accepted by African societies. Access to the relevant material constitutes a necessary precondition for any other gains in this field. The aim of this reference work is, therefore, to make African human rights law accessible to all those involved in or interested in human rights law on the continent, in order to strengthen its impact. Primary documents are introduced and reproduced and presented in a coherent framework. The main institutions - public and private - dealing with human rights in Africa are identified and discussed. Comprehensive overviews of the international human rights legal regimes applicable to Africa, as well as country reports are provided. Access to this body of law will enable judges, practicing lawyers, academics and other researchers, as well as law reformers, NGOs, activists and students, to both ascertain and assert these rights. It will also serve to ensure the development of a stronger indigenous African human rights jurisprudence, rooted in local experience, history, culture and practices. This book consequently tries to contribute towards documenting, systemising and anchoring the African human rights system. This publication replaces and updates the earlier Human Rights Law in Africa Series, which appeared on an annual basis from 1996 to 1999. In order to make the publication accessible in Africa, the Centre for Human Rights and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden have undertaken a targeted distribution campaign on the continent. The print edition is available as a set of two volumes (9789004138810).

Contrary to popular belief, there is a vast body of law dealing with human rights in Africa in existence today. The first priority at the moment is consequently not the adoption of new norms, or the creation of even more structures, the most immediate challenge lies in making the existing structures work and ensuring compliance with the norms already accepted by African societies. Access to the relevant material constitutes a necessary precondition for any other gains in this field. The aim of this reference work is, therefore, to make African human rights law accessible to all those involved in or interested in human rights law on the continent, in order to strengthen its impact. Primary documents are introduced and reproduced and presented in a coherent framework. The main institutions - public and private - dealing with human rights in Africa are identified and discussed. Comprehensive overviews of the international human rights legal regimes applicable to Africa, as well as country reports are provided. Access to this body of law will enable judges, practicing lawyers, academics and other researchers, as well as law reformers, NGOs, activists and students, to both ascertain and assert these rights. It will also serve to ensure the development of a stronger indigenous African human rights jurisprudence, rooted in local experience, history, culture and practices. This book consequently tries to contribute towards documenting, systemising and anchoring the African human rights system. This publication replaces and updates the earlier Human Rights Law in Africa Series, which appeared on an annual basis from 1996 to 1999. In order to make the publication accessible in Africa, the Centre for Human Rights and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden have undertaken a targeted distribution campaign on the continent. The print edition is available as a set of two volumes (9789004138810).