This volume of specially commissioned articles by leading authorities in the field shows how the subject of human rights impacts on contemporary politics and on the discipline of political science. It assesses the role of human rights in political theory, international law and international relations, and the politics of different regions of the world, including Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
Besides broad regional and international surveys, subjects treated include: the question of collective rights, relativism and universalism, the future of social and economic rights, the role of NGO's and international organisations, the Vienna world conference, human rights in US foreign policy. An editorial introduction considers the place of human rights in the politics curriculum. An international group of contributors includes political scientists, political philosophers, academic lawyers and those with experience of human rights campaigning.