Resources
Policing and Human Rights
| • Advising | • Consulting | • Educating |
Resources
This resource list contains a selection of the International Instruments and other material most relevant to Policing and Human Rights. It is produced for convenience and easy use. It is not a definitive list. There are many other instruments that also apply.
A more complete list of International Human Rights Instruments will be found on the web site of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights here.
Please note. In using these links you will leave this web site and go to external sites. Responsibility for the data on these lies with the publisher of each respective web site.
International Instruments – Treaties
CLICK | All of the following treaties are available for viewing at and downloading from the website of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
CORE HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES
Charter of the United Nations
ICESCR | International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
ICESR-OP | Optional Protocol of the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
ICCPR | International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
ICCPR-OP1 | Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
ICCPR-OP2 | Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty
CAT | Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
OP-CAT | Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
ICERD | International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
CEDAW | Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
OP-CEDAW | Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
CRC | Convention on the Rights of the Child
OP-CRC-AC | Optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict
OP-CRC-SC | Optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography
OP-CRC-IC | Optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure
ICMW | International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
CPED | International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
CRPD | Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
OP-CRPD | Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
WAR CRIMES AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, INCLUDING GENOCIDE
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity
Principles of international co-operation in the detection, arrest, extradition and punishment of persons guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity
Statute of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
Statute of the International Tribunal for Rwanda
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
HUMANITARIAN LAW [‘International Law of Armed Conflict’ / ‘Law of War’]
Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field [Geneva Convention 1]
Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea [Geneva Convention 2]
Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War [Geneva Convention 3]
Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War [Geneva Convention 4]
Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I)
Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II)
Also available from the same location: -
- Ratifications and Reservations
- Status of ratifications and signatures of human rights treaties
- CD Compilation of International instruments - Universal instruments
- Conventions, Declarations and Other Instruments Found in General Assembly Resolutions (since 1946)
REGIONAL TREATIES Available from other locations
Click | European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom
Click | African [Banjul] Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Click | American Convention on Human Rights "Pact of San Jose, Costa Rica"
Click | Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture
For thought...
Amnesty International is concerned that thousands of families are still waiting to know the fate of their relatives who were “disappeared” in police custody [….] and may have been extrajudicially executed and illegally cremated .. ..
From an Amnesty International News Release [Source 8]
International Instruments - Non Treaty
CLICK | All of the following treaties are available for viewing at and downloading from the website of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE: PROTECTION OF PERSONS SUBJECTED TO DETENTION OR IMPRISONMENT
Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials
Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials
Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Principles on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules)
Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners
Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment
United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures (The Tokyo Rules)
United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (The Riyadh Guidelines)
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice ("The Beijing Rules")
Guidelines for Action on Children in the Criminal Justice System
Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power
Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance
Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions
Principles of Medical Ethics relevant to the Role of Health Personnel, particularly Physicians, in the Protection of
Prisoners and Detainees against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty
Guidelines for Action on Children in the Criminal Justice System
Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary
Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers
Guidelines on the Role of Prosecutors
Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation
United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules)
Updated Set of principles for the protection and promotion of human rights through action to combat impunity
RIGHTS OF WOMEN
Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women
Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Principles relating to the status of national institutions (The Paris Principles)
Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training
NATIONALITY, STATELESSNESS, ASYLUM AND REFUGEES
Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness
Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons
Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees
Declaration on the Human Rights of Individuals Who are not Nationals of the Country in which They Live
REGIONAL INSTRUMENTS Available from other locations
Click | European Resolution 690 (1979) on the Declaration on the Police
Click | Recommendation 858 (1979) on the Declaration on the Police
Click | European Recommendation Rec(2001)10 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the European Code of Police Ethics
Click | European Recommendation Rec(2001)10 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the European Code of Police Ethics - full version, including the supporting Explanatory Memorandum
Click | Resolution on Guidelines and Measures for the Prohibition and Prevention of Torture, Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in Africa, 32nd Session, 17 - 23 October 2002: Banjul, The Gambia.
Click | Guidelines and Measures for the Prohibition and Prevention of Torture, Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in Africa (The Robben Island Guidelines), African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, 32nd Session, 17 - 23 October, 2002: Banjul, The Gambia.
Click | South African Regional Police Chiefs’ Co-operation Organisation Code of Conduct for Police Officials
For thought...
I know that I alone am responsible for my own standard of professional performance and will take every reasonable opportunity to enhance and improve my level of knowledge and competence.
From an American Law Enforcement Code of Ethics [Source 9]
Manuals
CLICK | All of the following UN manuals are available for viewing at and downloading from the website of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
UNITED NATIONS
No.5. Human Rights and Law Enforcement: A Manual on Human Rights Training for the Police. [Arabic, Chinese, English French and Russian versions are available.]
No.5/Add.1. International Human Rights Standards for Law Enforcement: A Pocket Book on Human Rights for the Police. [English French and Russian versions are available .]
No.5/Add.2. Human Rights and Law Enforcement: A Trainer’s Guide on Human Rights for the Police. [Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish versions are available.]
No. 5/Add.3. Human Rights Standards and Practice for the Police: Expanded Pocket Book on Human Rights for the Police. [Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish versions available.}
No.6, Human Rights Training: Human Rights Training, A Manual on Human Rights Training Methodology. [Arabic, Chinese, English, French & Russian versions available]
No.8/Rev 1. The Istanbul Protocol: Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. [Arabic, English, Chinese, Russian and Spanish versions are available.]
OTHERS – Non United Nations
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Police Accountability: Too important to neglect, too urgent to delay, (New Delhi, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, 2005).
[ISBN: 81 88205 17 6]
Click | This manual is available to download from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative web site.
Crawshaw, R., Police and Human Rights; A Manual for Teachers, Resource Persons and Participants in Human Rights Programmes, Second Revised Edition, (Leiden, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2009).
[ISBN 90-411-1209-X (PB)] Available in print only.
Crawshaw, R. Cullen, S. and Williamson, T., Human Rights and Policing, Second revised edition, (Leiden, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2007).
[ISBN 13: 978 90 04 15437 7] Available in print only.
Crawshaw, R. and Holmstrom, L., Essential Texts for Human Rights for the Police; A Compilation of International Instruments, Second Revised Edition, (Leiden, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2008).
[ISBN 90-411-1557-9] Available in print only.
Crawshaw, R. and Holmstrom, L., Essential Cases on Human Rights for the Police; Reviews and Summaries of International Cases (Leiden, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2006).
[ISBN 13: 978 90 04 13978 7] Available in print only.
De Rover, C., To Serve and To Protect; Human Rights and Humanitarian Law for Police and Security Forces, (Geneva, International Committee of the Red Cross, 1998).
[ISBN 2-88145-093-8] Available in print in a wide variety of languages.
Click | This manual is available to download from the ICRC web site.
Osse, A., Understanding Policing; A resource for human rights activists, (Amsterdam, Amnesty International Netherlands, 2006).
[ISBN 13: 978 90 6463 175 7]
Click | This manual is available to download from the Amnesty International Netherlands web site in various languages.
Necessarily, I have to be selective. There is, of course, a wide variety of other textbooks and resource information available from police services, governments, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, human rights groups, universities, ombudsmen, libraries and many other similar sources. I will always consider suggestions for links that could be added.
Have you discovered a link that is incorrect or not working?
Please provide me with feedback so that I can correct it.