Library of Congress Country Studies
Sources for economic, political and cultural information on specific countries; and includes eighty-five countries, that are part of the printed country Studies/area handbook published by the Department of the Army.

Western Connecticut State University List: World Area Studies Internet Resources
An extensive listing of global, regional, and country links.

Area Studies: Comparative Politics
Includes information on elections, human rights, news media, and texts of constitutions of various countries, especially those of the advanced industrial countries.

www.countrywatch.com
CountryWatch provides country specific geopolitical intelligence on each of the 191 countries of the world.

Europa
A multilingual guide to the European Union.

Political Database of the Americas
This site is a joint project between Georgetown University's Resource Unit on Democratic Governability at the Center for Latin American Studies and the Canadian foundation for the Americas. It provides documentary and statistical data, including political parties, constitutions, electoral laws, legislative and executive branch information.

A.S.S.R.
ASSR is designed to link Arab social science research centers to one another and to the world through a virtual library specializing in social science resources.

Middle East North Africa Internet Resource Guide
Very useful and comprehensive of electronic sources on Middle East and African countries, cultures and various topics, including human rights organizations.

www.islam.democracy.or 

Center for Islam and Democracy

Arab World Online
Geared for commercial interests. Useful for basic country data of the arab World.

Al-Mashriq
A World-Wide Web site since 1994, located at the Østfold College, Halden (Norway) and is maintained by Børre Ludvigsen, professor of Humanities. and an occasional team of students. Of general cultural interest, focusing on the eastern mediterranean.

General Information on Iran
Government, leadership and people.

http://www.parstimes.com/

Pars Times is a noncommercial non-partisan site. It's mainly targeted for researches, scholars and investors. It's featured at the Middle East Virtual library:

http://ssgdoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/vlib/ssgfi/infodata/003436.html

IANWeb Resources - Area Studies Resources
Organized by the International Affairs Network and sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh, this is a concise listing of area studies. Other important sections of the overall site include individual countries, international organizations, primary documents and university centers.

International Affairs Resources: The Online Intelligence Project
US Department of State, Foreign Affairs Network. Of interest is background information on individual countries of various regions of the world.

European Governments on the World-Wide Web

Africa South of the Sahara: Selected Internet Resources

Studies Internet Resources: Columbia University - Area Studies

Stanford University Libraries/Academic Information Resources

Japan Information Network

Netiran
A source of basic information on state structures, laws, personnel and other Iran news. Information is clearly presented and organized.

The Islamic Republic of Iran: Government

http://www.tunisieinfo.com  On Tunisia

CONSTITUTIONS
Includes links, which provide the text of country constitutions and related information.

http://admi.net/world/consti/   Adminet. Provides country data including constitutions by country under Constitution Finder,  http://confinder.richmond.edu/  Especially good for texts in foreign languages, mainly European. Includes former colonial regions.

Findlaw   www.findlaw.com/01topics/06constitutional/03forconst

 http://www.iidh.ed.cr/  The Inter-American Institute of Human Rights. Look up "Teaching and Research Resources," then click on "National Legislation-Constitutions" for countries of the world constitutions.

 http://www.constitution.org/cons/natlcons.htm  National Constitutions

Area Studies: Comparative Politics
This website lists 106 countries, most of which include text of constitution. List includes some but not all constitutions of developing countries.

ICL - International Constitutional Law
Regional links. Sometimes regional and country links provide the only electronically available information on a constitution of a country. These links also provide helpful supporting data. Here are some.

African Constitutions
University of Pennsylvania website on African Constitutions

www.afrst.uiuc.edu   Sponsored by the Center for African Studies, University of Illinois

ASSR
Arab Social Science Research Provides information on constitutions, among other things, of the countries of the Middle East and North Africa.

General Information on Iran
Government, leadership and people.

http://www.parstimes.com/law/Iran_law.html

A very useful of information on Iran: Government institutions and Basic Laws

Netiran
A source of basic information on state structures, constitution, who is who, and Iran news. Information is clearly presented and organized.

Constitution of the Islamic of Iran

Indian Parliament
Website includes text of the Indian Constitution and details on the structure of the Indian government.

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/browse.html    United States constitution  annotated version helps to explain the context of and background of different parts of the document. From the U.S. Senate.

www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html    Text of the US constitution

http://www.tunisieinfo.com/indexreference.html  The Constitution and Electoral Code of Tunisia

ELECTIONS
Covers comprehensive information on elections: laws, news, dates, election results by country, etc.

International Foundation for Electoral Systems(IFES)
International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES). Provides professional advice and technical assistance in promoting democracy and serves as an information clearinghouse on democratic development. Established to support electoral and other democratic institutions in emerging, evolving, and experienced democracies. Information on elections worldwide.

IFES Election Guide This is specifically for election dates, information, and results by country.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)
IDEA has produced a comprehensive and user-friendly collection of comparative information on electoral management in collaboration with the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) and the UN. The information is currently available online at www.aceproject.org and in CD-ROM format. This electronic election encyclopedia enables quick access to comparative information on any aspect of the election process, along with sample manual, checklists, forms and relevant country case studies.  Under the IDEA rubric, the reader will find:

 http://www.epicproject.org/
It provides user-friendly, operationally oriented information on options, detailed procedures, alternative solutions and the administrative and cost implications associated with organizing elections.

Three leading international organizations: The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) worked together to produce the materials on www.aceproject.org. These three ACE Project partner organizations met in January 2004 to further expand and enhance ACE as a high quality knowledge depository of electoral practice and to build a global partnership to promote knowledge sharing and capacity development. At this time, Elections Canada, the Federal Electoral Institute of Mexico and the United Nations Development Programme joined the project as as full partners.

www.idea.int/voter_turnout/index.html
A Global Report on voter turnout since 1945.

http://www.osce.org/publications/factsheets/odihr_e.pdf

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Website of the  Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, concerned mainly with election monitoring and human rights protection.

Elections around the world
Database giving election results from countries around the world. Information about political parties and parliaments. Also provides vital statistics for many countries.

Elections and Electoral Systems by Country

Voting Systems, Elections, & Political Science
This home page contains links to a number of sites with information about preference voting, proportional representation, and other alternatives to single-member districts.

http://www.fairvote.org/about_us/index.html

The Center for Voting and Democracy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Takoma Park, Maryland. The Center is a nonprofit organization that relies on charitable contributions from the public.

The Center is dedicated to fair elections where every vote counts and all voters are represented. As a catalyst for reform, the Center conducts research, analysis, education and advocacy to build understanding of and support for more democratic voting systems. The Center also promote full representation as an alternative to winner-take-all elections and instant runoff voting as an alternative to plurality elections and traditional runoff elections.

Electoral Reform Society

Election Resources.net

Lijphart Election Archive
This is a research collection of district level election results for approximately 350 national legislative elections in 26 countries.

www.aceproject.org
Detailed information on administration and cost of elections worldwide combined results from UN, IFES and IDEA. Useful GLOSSARY of electoral terms.

The Election Center
This is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and improving democracy. Its members are government employees whose profession is to serve in voter registration and elections administration.

Yahoo! Directory
Select elections, where data will be found on the following categories: Calenders, Electoral Systems, Internet Voting, Political Advertising, Electoral Reform, and Voting Rights.

CNN Election Watch

agora.stm.it/elections/election.htm

Georgetown University's Election Data

International Foundation for Electoral Systems

PARLINE database

www.uiowa.edu/~electdis
A model for designing effective Electoral System for emerging democracies.

The Electoral Institute of Southern Africa

www.afrst.uiuc.edu

Japan Information Network.

Political Database of the Americas
This site is a joint project between Georgetown University's Resource Unit on Democratic Governability at the Center for Latin American Studies and the Canadian foundation for the Americas. It provides documentary and statistical data, including political parties, constitutions, electoral laws, legislative and executive branch information.

Latin America Electronic Resources List:British Library for Development Studies

A.S.S.R.
Provides electoral information in Arab states within its general data base.

Guide to World Wide Web in Israel
This is a guide to Israeli internet sponsored by Netvision since 1994. Very useful data source on government and elections in Israel. Also informative on cultural and societal matters.

The Center for Responsive Politics
Campaign finance data, USA.

http://www.library.ubc.ca/poli/electoral.html

Elections, Political Parties and Parliaments. Sponsored by the University of British Columbia Library.

http://www.fairvote.org/turnout/index.html

The Center for Voting and Democracy.

The Center is a non-profit organization located in Takoma Park, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. FairVote  is dedicated to fair elections where every vote counts and all voters are represented. As a catalyst for reform, The Center conducts research, analysis, education and advocacy to build understanding of and support for more democratic voting systems. Primary focus is one American elections.

www.electionline.org   Focus of Website is on American elections

Elections Observers:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/eidhr/elections_observation_en.htm    European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights—EU Elections Observation

http://www.osce.org/odihr/    OSCE-Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Headqaurters in Warsaw.

The Carter Center
The Carter Center is one of the most active agencies monitoring elections all over the world. Center founded by former United states President, Jimmy Carter, and his wife Rosalynn. Democracy Program, Associate Director, David J. Carroll (e-mail: djcarro@emory.edu)

http://www.francophonie.org/publications/elections/index.cfm    OIF-Organisation International de la Francophonie missions d'observations des élections

LEGISLATURES
Includes links providing comprehensive information on parliaments in the world.

Public Citizen
Devoted to political activism by democratic means, especially in the health field.

European Governments on the World-Wide Web

Political Database of the Americas
This site is a joint project between Georgetown University's Resource Unit on Democratic Governability at the Center for Latin American Studies and the Canadian foundation for the Americas. It provides documentary and statistical data, including political parties, constitutions, electoral laws, legislative and executive branch information.

The Islamic Republic of Iran: Government

Guide to World Wide Web in Israel
This is a guide to Israeli internet sponsored by Netvision since 1994. Very useful data source on government and elections in Israel. Also informative on cultural and societal matters.

General Information on Iran
Government, leadership and people.

The Center on Congress
Provide information, and improve public understanding about U.S. Congress and about the legislative process. Its director is former congressman Lee Hamilton. The center is located at Indiana University.

Congressional Quarterly
CQ.com On Congress is Congressional Quarterly's easy-to-use source for mission-critical legislative tracking information. Congress-watchers can access government documents, legislative summaries committees coverage, congressional member profiles and congressional schedules.

HUMAN RIGHTS
Listing of links on human rights which include UN documents and offices, information on NGOs active in matters of human rights, and the state of human rights in separate countries. Human Rights links may be found under the following categories.

Huuman Rights: World Regions and other Categories

Africa European Community Latin America Middle East North America

United Nations UN Texts of Documents Non-Governmental Orgs. H. R. Documentary Texts Addresses of H.R. orgs.

 

Human Rights:
Africa

Organization of African Unity
African [Banjul] Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights

Organization of African Unity
African Charter on Human & Peoples' Rights

The African commission on human and peoples' rights
Organization for the promotion and protection of human and peoples' rights in Africa.

African Charter on Human & Peoples' Rights

Human Rights and Governance in Africa

http://www.cc.columbia.edu/~slc11/ Site moved to: http://members.aol.com/casmasalc/
The Coalition against Slavery in Mauritania and Sudan, a human rights website.

Human Rights Watch
This is the Human Rights Watch website for Africa and covers all of the Subsaharan continent.

Links on human rights in Africa
A listing of various websites on Human Rights in Africa.

African Human Rights Resource Center
This site is a joint project of the Makerere University Human Rights and Peace Center and the University of Minnesota Human Rights Center. International Human Rights Instruments - Africa; Africa Related Links; Organization of African Unity; African Commisson on Human and Peoples' Rights; Human Rights Committee; Information on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; International Panel of Eminent Personalities to Investigate the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda and the Surrounding Events (July 7 2000); Bibliographies; Non-governmental organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa; Africa: economic, social, and cultural rights; African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies; General Human Rights Resources.

The Kenyan Human Rights Initiative (KHRI)
The Kenyan Human Rights Initiative (KHRI) is a network of worldwide volunteers promoting awareness of the political and human rights situation in Kenya. Aims at assisting Kenyans in working toward open and full democracy, with basic human freedoms available to all citizens.

International Organizations from Columbia University.

www.afrst.uiuc.edu

Stanford University Libraries/Academic Information Resources

Afronet
Afronet was conceived in June/July 1993. The organization is registered with the Zambian government under Article 105 of the Republican Constitution. The 14th session of the African Commission recognized Afronet or "The Inter-African Network for Human Rights and Development" as an African Human Rights and Development Network, whose aims and objectives (are) in harmony with the Commission's Charter. Afronet thus has observer status with the African Commission on Human and People's Rights.

Human Rights:
European Community

Council of Europe
Website provides basic information about the Human Rights Court, the Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee of Ministers, Parliamentary Assembly, Congress of local and Regional Authorities, and Secretary General.

 The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms www.echr.coe.int/Convention/Convention%20countries%20link.htm

The European Court for Human Rights
Rules of Court ( www.echr.coe.int/Eng/EDocs/RulesOfCourt.html)

Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network
Promotion an protection of Human Rights in the Mediterranean region.

 http://www.osce.org/publications/factsheets/odihr_e.pdf

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).Website of the  Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, concerned mainly with and human rights protection and monitoring of elections.

Hellenic Resources Network (HR-Net)
The European Convention on Human Rights, ROME 4 November 1950, and its Five Protocols, PARIS 20 March 1952, STRASBOURG 6 May 1963, STRASBOURG 6 May 1963, STRASBOURG 16 September 1963, STRASBOURG 20 January 1966.

Human Rights:
Latin America

American convention on human rights
"Pact of San Hose, Costa Rica"

Protocol to the american convention on human rights to abolish the death penalty

Additional protocol to the American convention on human rights
In the area of economic, social and cultural rights "Protocol of San Salvador"

http://www.derechos.org/derechos.html
Derechos works with human rights organizations in Latin America and the world to bring accurate and timely information on the human rights situation in their countries.

Human Rights:
Middle East

ttp://www.arabhra.org/index.htm

The Arab Association for Human Rights. This association is in the service of the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel.

Arab Human Rights Netcenter (Markaz Huquq al Insaan)
Very useful coverage of human rights news in various Arab countries, with some emphasis on Palestinian human rights and national struggle.

http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/arabcharter.html
Arab Charter on Human Rights,

Council of the League of Arab States, September 15, 1994, reprinted in 18 Hum. Rts. L.J. 151 (1997).

Arab Commission for Human Rights
The Arab Commission for Human Rights is an independent non-governmental organization dedicated to the protection of human rights throughout the Arab world. Observes the principles established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR); the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESC); the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and all other international human rights instruments.
Founded on January 17, 1998 by a group of 15 human rights advocates from different Arab countries. The Arab Commission for Human Rights has been granted the right to work as an independent non-governmental organization in France in accordance with the French Law of Associations.

Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR)
A pan-Arab non-governmental organization which provides information and defense against violations of human rights in Arab countries. Draws attention to prisoners of conscience in Arab countries and defends them. Founded in 1983 with headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. It issues a monthly newsletter plus annual and special reports.

http://www.ariga.com/humanrights/acri.shtml

Association for Civil Rights in Israel The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) was established in 1972 to bolster Israel's commitment to civil liberties and human rights through legal action, education and public outreach. ACRI is a strictly nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that protects the rights of all individuals in Israel and in the occupied territories, regardless of religion, nationality or political beliefs. Sammi Michael, Chariman; Vered Livne - Executive Director

A.S.S.R.
ASSR is designed to link Arab social science research centers to one another and to the world through a virtual library specializing in social science resources. Extensive listing of websites on human rights and human rights organizations in the Arab world.

Bat Shalom-Israel
Bat Shalom is a feminist peace organization of Israeli women, which works toward a just peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors based on the principles that include recognition of a Palestinian state side-by-side with Israel and Jerusalem as the capital of both. Within Israel, Bat Shalom works toward a more just and democratic society shaped equally by men and women.
Bat Shalom, together with The Jerusalem Center for Women, a Palestinian women's peace organization, comprise The Jerusalem Link. They work together toward peace - not merely a treaty of mutual deterrence, but a culture of peace and cooperation between the two peoples.

Birzeit MA Program in Democracy and Human Rights

Damascus Center for Theoretical and Civil Rights Studies (DCTCRS)
An independent organization for scientific and theoretic research, whose agenda includes support of civil society in Syria.

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) is a regional research center specialized in the field of human rights. It was established in 1994. The CIHRS enjoys a special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It also has an observatory status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. The CIHRS is also a member to the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) and the Human Rights Education Network

The Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation
This is a coalition of Canadian and Canadian-Lebanese volunteers devoted to the defense of human rights in Lebanon.

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights ^(EOHR) was founded in 1985 as one of the oldest and premier non-governmental organization (NGO) and its headquarter in Cairo.
EOHR has a national membership of 2,300 and has seventeen provincial branches located throughout Egypt. EOHR is non-profitable NGO working within the framework of the principles established in Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all other international human rights instruments regardless of the identity or the affiliation of the victim(s) or of the violator(s).

http://www.waac.org/library/human_rights organizations-contents.html
Website includes four separate links on human rights in North Africa:
Human Rights Organizations in North Africa by Country.
International Organizations Concerned with Human Rights in North Africa.
International Laws, Covenants, and Treaties Regarding Human Rights.
Publications Regarding Human Rights in North Africa

http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/mena/
Derechos' website on human rights in the Middle East and North Africa.

Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network
Dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights in the Euro-Mediterranean Region (EMHRN). EMHRN is based in more than 20 countries from the Euro-Mediterranean region. It provides information in three languages, Arabic, English and French.

Gush-Shalom-Kutlat al Salam
An Isrsaeli human rights activist group opposed to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and to the violations of human rights in the occupied territories. Website is in Hebrew. Email: Gush Shalom <adam@gush-shalom.org>

Human Rights Watch
The HRW report in the Arabic language.

Maghreb: des Droits de l'Homme (maghreb: huquq al-Insaan)
Purports to provide a platform for Maghrebian democratic associations in North Africa and Europe and to provide information on human rights violations in countries of that region. French language.

www.asam.8k.com
The Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants, Turkey.

www.ihd.org.tr/eindex.html
Human Rights Association in Turkey (English version).

www.ihd.org.tr Turkish version: Insan Haklari Dernegi

Kurdish Human Rights Project
Working to protect and promote the human rights of all persons living throughout the Kurdish regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and the former Soviet Union.

Rabbis For Human Rights
Concerned specifically with giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights. RHR is also the only Israeli rabbinic organization comprised of Reform, Orthodox, Conservative and Reconstructionist rabbis and students. RHR is an outlet for information on human rights in Israel and the occupied territories. RHR was founded in 1988, in response to the Israeli military authorities suppression of the Intifada. Membership includes some ninety ordained rabbis, plus a number of rabbinic students. Rabbis for Human Rights has no affiliation with any political party or ideology. Its members are Israeli citizens.

Middle East North Africa Internet Resource Guide
Very useful and comprehensive of electronic sources on Middle East and African countries, cultures and various topics, including human rights organizations.

Human Rights Center for Assistance of Prisoners (Egypt)
The Human Rights Center for the Assistance of Prisoners is the first center specialized in prison conditions in the Arab World. The Program for the Amelioration of Prison Conditions monitors and documents conditions in prisons and makes recommendations to the Egyptian Government to improve prison conditions.

http://www.democracy-egypt.org/indexe.htm

Issued by the Ibn Khaldun Center in Egypt, a private research organization with a focus on civil society and the defense of human rights.

http://www.tunisieinfo.com/indexdocs.html

Les Droits de l'Homme en Tunisie
 
 Cette rubrique comprend une série d'ouvrages qui présentent les choix et les réalisations de la Tunisie en matière de droits de l'Homme depuis le Changement du 7 Novembre 1987. La publication de ces ouvrages s'inscrit dans le cadre de la célébration par la Tunisie du Cinquantenaire de la Déclaration Universelle des Droits de l'Homme et de sa contribution à la Décennie des Nations-Unies sur l'éducation en matière des droits de l'Homme.

http://www.bepress.com/mwjhr/

Muslim World Journal of Human Rights

Human Rights:
North America

US Department of State
Issued by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Annual reports on the state of human rights in individual countries of the world. 

http://www.iidh.ed.cr/en_index.aspx

The Inter-American Institute of Human Rights     

Human Rights:
United Nations (UN)

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

UN committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women

UN Committee Against Torture

Committee on the Rights of the Child

UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

International Human Rights Instruments
A long list of texts of UN human rights documents.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

United Nations Human Rights Resources
Documentary materials, plus Information regarding UN activities on human rights.

Human Rights:
UN Texts of Documents

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Here you will find the most comprehensive collection of translations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948. Over 300 different language versions are available in HTML, PDF and graphical forms.

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966

Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 entry into force 23 March 1976, in accordance with Article 9

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 entry into force 3 January 1976, in accordance with article 27.

UN Office of the High commissioner for Human Rights Proclamation of Teheran
Proclaimed by the International Conference on Human Rights at Teheran on 13 May 1968

International Human Rights Instruments
long list of texts of UN human rights documents.

Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations resolution 39/46 of 10 December, 1984.

Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of Individuals and Groups
Resolution Adopted by the UN General Assembly 53/144. This document has been posted online by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). Reproduction and dissemination of the document - in electronic and/or printed format - is encouraged, provided acknowledgement is made of the role of the United Nations in making it available.

Human Rights:
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

Committee to Protect Journalists
A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the global defense of press freedom.

Reporters Without Borders
Advocate of free press and freedom of journalists the world over.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
This is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to promote high standard delivery of information and services. Headquarter is in the national library of the Netherlands. Good source of constitutional texts and background information worldwide, organized alphabetically.

http://www.icj.org/

The International Commission of Jurists is dedicated to the primacy, coherence and implementation of international law and principles that advance human rights. The ICJ provides legal expertise at both the international and national levels to ensure that developments in international law adhere to human rights principles and that international standards are implemented at the national level. The Commission was founded in Berlin in 1952 and its membership is composed of sixty eminent jurists who are representatives of the different legal systems of the world. Based in Geneva, the International Secretariat is responsible for the realisation of the aims and objectives of the Commission. In carrying out its work, the International Secretariat benefits from a network of autonomous national sections and affiliated organisations located in all continents.

World Audit
The world-wide focus is on democracy, human rights, press freedom, corruption and the rule of law.

World Constitutions and International Treatises
Extensive coverage on various aspects of human rights. Produced by The International Federation of Library Associations (ILFA), an international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. IFLA was registered in the Netherlands in 1971. Its headquarters is at The Royal Library in The Hague.

University of Minnesota Human Rights Library

Amnesty International Library by Country and Region

Amnesty International Library
A. I. Reports and news releases from 1996 to date.

Amnesty International On-line: human rights website

International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF)
The IHF is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization that seeks to promote compliance of the states participating in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) with the human rights provisions to which they committed themselves in the Helsinki Final Act and its Follow-up Documents, as well as with relevant international law.
Based in Vienna, the IHF represents 41 Helsinki Committees and cooperating human rights groups in Europe and North America. In addition to supporting and providing liaison among its member committees and associated human rights groups, the IHF gathers information and documents on the human rights situation throughout the territory of the OSCE.

Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network
Promotion and protection of Human Rights in the Mediterranean region.

Global Policy Forum
Site monitors policy making and offices of the United Nations.

Global Exchange
Founded in 1988 and dedicated to promoting environmental, political, and social justice around the world. Strives to increase global awareness among the US public while building international partnerships around the world.

WHRnet
Strengthening Women's Human Rights Advocacy through Information and Communications Technologies: Founded in 1997, WHRnet is an international network of women's human rights organization that seeks the effective utilization of all available information and communication technologies (ICTs) toward the advancement of women's human rights.

Human Rights:
Documentary Texts

http://www.alhewar.com/ISLAMDECL.html
Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights. 19 September 1981.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Click here for the arabic version.

Convention on Human Rights
Look up: Area Studies: Comparative Politics, under constitutions.

Human Rights:
Addresses of Organizations

Foundation For Human Rights Initiative
Plot 77 Makerere Hill Road P.O. Box 11027
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: 256-41-530095
Fax: 256-41-540561
fhri@starcom.co.ug

Amnesty International USA
322 Eighth Ave.
New York, NY 10001-4808 USA
(212)807-8400
Fax:(212)627-1451
aiaction@amnesty-usa.org

Arab Organization on Human Rights
91 al-Mirghany street, Heliopolis
Cairo, Egypt 11341
Tel. (202) 4181396 - 4188378
Fax. 4185346
AOHR@Link.com.eg

Association for Civil Rights in Israel
P.O.B. 35401
Jerusalem, Israel
91352 Israel
Tel: 972-2 652-1218
Fax: 972-2 652-1219
Email: mail@acri.org.il
Web: http://www.acri.org.il/english-acri/engine/index.asp

The Sudan Human Rights Association (SHRA)
Katwe Road (Behind Capco Petrol Station)
P.O. Box 7327 Kampala
Tel:+256(41)250586
Fax:+256(41)250586
webmaster@ned.org

MEDIA
Covers information on freedom of the press and treatment of journalists the world over, as well as guides to newspapers in various countries.

World Audit
Focus on democracy, human rights, press freedom, corruption, and the rule of law. Includes other links and books on democracy.

Center for Digital Democracy

http://www.democraticmedia.org/ The Center for Digital Democracy is a nonprofit organization working to ensure that the digital media systems serve the public interest. In an effort to realize the full potential of broadband, the Center for Digital Democracy is launching a new project designed to stimulate citizen participation in the broadband revolution at the local level. CDD's Digital Destiny Campaign will assist communities in coming to terms with the rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape, bringing new multimedia resources to the masses.

http://www.cpj.org/

The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1981. CPJ promotes press freedom worldwide by defending the right of journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal. It was started by a group of U.S. foreign correspondents in response to the often brutal treatment of their foreign colleagues by authoritarian governments and other enemies of independent journalism.
CPJ has a full-time staff of 22 at its New York headquarters, including area specialists for each major world region. CPJ also has a Washington, D.C., representative and an Asia program consultant based in Bangkok, Thailand. A 35-member board of prominent U.S. journalists directs CPJ’s activities.
CPJ is funded solely by contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations. CPJ does not accept government funding.

www.rsf.fr    

Reporters Without Borders-- RSF is an independent organization of journalists which operates on five continents through its national branches (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland) and its offices in Abidjan, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Montreal, Nairobi, New York, Tokyo and Washington. It also works in close co-operation with local and regional press freedom organizations and with members of the "Reporters without Borders' Network," who represent Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Myanmar ("Burma"), Cuba, Eritrea, Haiti, Peru, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Russia, Tunisia and the Ukraine.
Worldwide reporting on press freedom. Excellent source.

Center for Media & Democracy
The Center for Media & Democracy is a nonprofit, public interest organization funded by individuals and nonprofit foundations and dedicated to investigative reporting on the public relations industry. The Center serves citizens, journalists and researchers seeking to recognize and combat manipulative and misleading PR practices.

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ),

http://www.icfj.org/  The ICFJ was founded in 1984 as an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of journalism world-wide.

Japan Information Network.

Arab Social Science Research (ASSR

A.S.S.R.   is the network engine of the Arab Institute for Studies and Communication (AISC). Founded in 1998, by a group of senior Arab social scientists, AISC is dedicated to develop research organizations and assist researchers in the Arab world and beyond. This web site of ASSR provides a platform for the AISC's centers and pools resources designed to facilitate social science research in the region. Its virtual library serves as a gateway for Arab social scientists and for others studying the Arab world.

Worldcurrent
A Commercial website that gives access to newspapers of Arab countries.

Middle East Times
A weekly newspaper, American owned, published in Cyprus and Egypt. A source of concise articles and extensive coverage.

BBC extensive news coverage

http://www.parstimes.com/R1.html#Politics

Pars Times is a valuable source of information for political and media studies with emphasis on Iran and the M.E.

Netiran
A source of basic information on state structures, laws, personnel and other Iran news. Information is clearly presented and organized.

http://www.democraticmedia.org/

Al-Mashriq
A World-Wide Web site since 1994, located at the Østfold College, Halden (Norway) and is maintained by Børre Ludvigsen, professor of Humanities. and an occasional team of students. Of general cultural interest, focusing on the eastern mediterranean.

Arab World's Sites

International Journalists' Network
International Center for Journalists online source for media assistance news, journalism training opportunities, reports on the state of the media around the world, and media directories.

www.cairotimes.com

ICJ
International Commission of Jurists' Committee to Protect Journalists

DFN
Digital Freedom Network

www.freemedia.at
Freemedia's World Press Review

www.freedomforum.org
Press Freedom Support Group