What is international human rights law?
Human rights are founded on respect for the dignity and worth of each person. International human rights law is a set of international rules, established by treaty or custom, on the basis of which individuals and groups can expect and/or claim certain behavior or benefits from governments. Human rights law therefore places an obligation on states to act in a particular way and prohibits states from engaging in specific activities. An important function of human rights law is to enable individuals and groups to take positive action to redress violations against their internationally recognized rights. Human rights treaties have been developed both internationally, usually under the auspices of the United Nations, or regionally (Organization of American States (OAS), Organization of African Unity (OAU, now the African Union), and the Council of Europe). There is also a vast body of international human rights soft law.
