Human rights : between idealism and realism / Christian Tomuschat.

Incluye bibliografía e índice.

Introduction -- History of human rights -- Development of the current system of international protection of human rights -- Universality of human rights -- Conceptual foundations of human rights -- Determinative legal parameters of human rights -- Right holders and duty bearers -- From 'Negative' to positive duties : the different 'Generations' of human rights -- The general framework of human rights -- Implementation at national level -- The work of political bodies of international organizations -- The work of expert bodies : examination of state reports -- The work of expert bodies : complaint procedures and fact-finding -- Supervision by international tribunals -- Enforcement by states and the role of non-governmental organizations -- Mitigating the effects of armed conflict : humanitarian law -- Criminal prosecution of human rights violations -- Reparation-civil claims against human rights violators -- Time for hope, or time for despair?

By combining conceptual analysis with an emphasis on procedures and mechanisms of implementation, this volume provides a multidimensional overview of human rights. After examining briefly the history of human rights, the author analyses the intellectual framework that forms the basis of their legitimacy.