This course will investigate the role of human rights in global politics today. The course will focus in particular on the global human rights regime and the political dilemmas involved in addressing human rights concerns.

The timetable for this course will be made available to students at the beginning of the academic year. There is no guarantee that this course will run in any given year. For further information, please check the Politics and International Relations Moodle page or contact the subject directly.

Policy Briefing, 1500 words (30%)

Group Project (20%)

Essay, 2500 words (50%)

The aim of this course is to provide students with a broad overview of the global human rights regime and how it works in practice. It introduces students to key institutions, norms and treaties across multiple areas of human rights, and provides them with a framework for examining the political dilemmas involved in addressing human rights concerns.

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

■ Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the human rights regime;

■ Evaluate the implications of human rights for a wide variety of actors, including individuals, states, and international organisations;

■ Identify and critically assess the political dilemmas involved in addressing human rights concerns globally;

■ Advance reasoned and factually supported arguments both orally and in writing.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.