Birk, Maria Josefina Leitao.

Every United Nations member state is part of the human rights treaty system through the ratification of at least one of the six major human rights treaties, rendering universal participation a reality. For human rights victims, the treaty system is of central importance because international legal standards may offer benefits which political fora may not: the potential to generate remedies, attention, accessiblity. At the same time, the implementation mechanisms associated with the human rights treaties were designed at a time when the argument that international interest in human rights was an interference in domestic jurisdiction was at its peak. The challenge for the 21st Century is to move the theory of universality of international human rights standards towards effective implementation of human rights obligations. This book is a major contribution to the effort to focus attention on effective implementation of the human rights treaties. The contributors examine the major implementation shortfalls of the UN human rights treaty system, and offer concrete recommendations as to where future implementations efforts should be placed. The contributors are in a unique position to formulate and share their insights. They are drawn from among all of the constituencies involved in the human rights treaty system: the treaty bodies themselves, the NGO community, the UN secretariat, regional human rights regimes, UN agencies, UN human rights actors from the Human Rights Commission, the judiciary and academia. The book also includes, as a unique resource, all of the major documents concerning the UN human rights treaty system: the text of the treaties, the text of all amendments, statistics on individual communications to the treaty bodies, the text of all meetings of the chairpersons of the treaty bodies, reports and commentaries submitted to the UN Human Rights Commission, recent resolutions of the Human Rights Commission and the General Assembly on the human rights treaties, reform proposals by the International Law Association, regional human rights instruments. In the words of Philip Alston, the author of the UN report on enhancing the long-term effectiveness of the UN human rights treaty system, Professor Bayefsky's work `...has been more systematic and comprehensive, and has continued over a longer period of time, than any other comparable sholarly work on the subject.' (March 2000) In this volume Professor Bayefsky has collected the views of a range of authors immersed in the contribution and welfare of the UN human rights treaty system in the 21st century. It is necessary text for all those interested in the future of the international protection of human rights.

This collection of essays, contributed by his friends, pays tribute to the work of Peter R. Baehr, whose impressive career spans some 40 years of activity devoted to the cause of human rights. Although human rights remains the leitmotiv of Professor Baehr's career, the themes explored in this collection - the role of the nation-state in the 21st century, international organisations and foreign policy - are a reflection of the versatility of his work and the range of his interests. This volume thus offers the reader a stimulating collection of essays by a wide range of international experts on both the theory and the practice of human rights within the context of the nation-state of the 21st century.

This authoritative Commentary drafted by scholars of the Academic Network on the European Social Charter and Social Rights (ANESC) is aimed both at researchers studying socio-economic rights in Europe, and at legal practitioners; civil society organisations, trade unions and ministerial staff engaging with the procedures of the European Committee of Social Rights. The text is compiled by a large body of expert contributors, working together with an Editorial Board, under the supervision of a Scientific Committee, which reviews the quality of each chapter. The Scientific Committee is composed of the most respected experts on the European Social Charter and Social Rights in Europe. The Commentary will offer approx. 106 Chapters, organized in 8 Volumes, some of which are focused on the substantive state obligations and the jurisprudence of the European Committee of Social Rights, others on the procedures that state representatives, international bodies and applicants must follow to engage with the system of the European Social Charter. Volume 1 deals with Cross-Cutting Themes and is edited by Stefano Angeleri and Carole Nivard.

The 50th anniversary of the European Social Charter presents the opportunity for a comprehensive and informative review of one of the Council of Europe's fundamental treaties.What are its origins? Which states does it cover? What are its strengths? What are the new challenges that the Charter needs to address?This dynamic and accessible publication allows the reader to find out more about an instrument that is of vital importance for the protection of human rights in Europe and elsewhere.

The harmonization of the different European legal systems has reached the field of asylum and immigration policy. The Maastricht Treaty has established the legal basis for a common migration policy. Numerous resolutions, recommendations, joint positions and actions were adopted by the EU Council based on the `third pillar' in the Maastricht Treaty. Within the `first pillar' the European Community has enacted regulations on visa policy based on Art. 100c EC - Treaty. Additionally, several agreements with third countries on immigration issues were set into force. Immigration and Asylum Law and Policy of the European Union comprehensively describes the present state of the harmonization process concerning migration policy in the European Union. Particular emphasis is laid on the legal status of third-country nationals with regard to entry and residence. Furthermore, the gaps within EU regulations are evaluated in an attempt to search for a homogenous European migration policy.

The Research Handbook on European Social Security Law critically examines the various European dimensions of social security. The collection discusses a wide range of questions and dilemmas ensuing from the present state of European social security law, whilst at the same time identifying future lines of inquiry that are likely to dominate the discourse in the coming years. This Handbook encompasses numerous dimensions of European social security law, including: social security as a human right; standard setting in social security; the protection of mobile persons and migrants; as well as the global context of European social security law. It pays attention to both EU law and to various instruments of the Council of Europe. Throughout the book's chapters prominent experts analyse contemporary debates, discuss new challenges and point out further lines of research. Via this exploration, the Handbook provides a source of inspiration for the development of this special field of law. Covering a breadth of topic and research, scholars and practitioners alike will find this Research Handbook to be an invaluable source of information.

Undoubtedly one of the paragons of public international law in contemporary times, Colin Warbrick is truly held in high esteem by his peers at home and abroad. His breadth of knowledge is reflected in a large number of scholarly works and in his appointment as a Specialist Adviser to the Select Committee on the Constitution of the House of Lords and as a consultant to both the Council of Europe and OSCE. This "festschrift" celebrates on his retirement as Barber Professor of Jurisprudence at Birmingham University, his extraordinary talent and academic career by bringing together a group of eminent judges, practitioners and academics to write on international human rights, international criminal justice and international order and security, fields in which Professor Warbrick has left an indelible mark.