International Human Rights

The course “International Human Rights” will provide an overview of the current international human rights regime, covering the main international and regional human rights instruments and the different monitoring mechanisms. A substantial part of the course is dedicated to the discussion of cases. In the context of recent developments, we will address human rights topics such as freedom of expression, reproductive rights, and the protection of minorities. The course is designed for Master students.

Syllabus International Human Rights FS24 (PDF, 452 KB)

To access all information, updates and course materials, students need to enroll in the Moodle course for International Human Rights: https://moodle-app2.let.ethz.ch/course/view.php?id=14454. The registration key will be communicated in class. Classes will be held weekly on Wednesdays, from 10:15 to 12:00, starting 21 February 2024.

Attendance in class is mandatory for completing the course. Students may miss not more than two classes based on previous notification by e-mail. In addition, preparation and active participation in the discussions are a prerequisite for successfully completing the course and will influence the final grade. Students will also have to give short group presentations.

Please read all the mandatory materials. Note that the mandatory reading assignments in the programme below are subject to change throughout the semester. Additional readings, which will be uploaded on Moodle, are meant to assist you should any topics be of particular interest or difficulty to you.

We recommend the purchase of Alison Bisset, Blackstone's International Human Rights Documents, 13th ed., Oxford 2023. The course’s subjects are to a large extent covered by the various contributions in Daniel Moeckli/Sangeeta Shah/Sandesh Sivakumaran (eds), International Human Rights Law, 4th ed., Oxford 2022, and by Olivier de Schutter, International Human Rights Law, 3rd ed., Cambridge 2019. Alternatively, you may find Walter Kaelin/Joerg Kuenzli, The Law of International Human Rights Protection, 2nd ed., Oxford 2019 helpful for your preparation. Additional reading materials are listed in the syllabus.

There will be a written or oral exam at the end of the term (depending on the number of participants). Details will be announced in class.

Further information may be found on Moodle. Please make yourself acquainted in advance with the uploaded documents. For any further queries, please contact the assistants at the Chair of Prof. Kaufmann (Lst.kaufmann@ius.uzh.ch).