Introduction
Over the last two decades, the Centre has developed an extensive record in
the field of academic and policy research, much of which has been funded by
external bodies. The Human Rights Centre is especially well-known for its work
internationally on civil and political rights, including the prohibition against
torture, as well as international humanitarian law and the protection of human
rights in situations of armed conflict - and all these remain major areas of
research for the Centre.
Additionally, members of the Centre have expertise across a wide-range of
other human rights issues, spanning various disciplines. For example, members
have researched, taught and worked in the fields of democracy and development,
economic, social and cultural rights, refugees and migration and the protection
of human rights in the UK. The diversity of members' interdisciplinary expertise
allows the Centre to conduct research in most significant areas of human rights
and democracy.
The Centre also offers group-specific human rights expertise addressing such
issues as gender mainstreaming, human rights of children, discrimination,
minority rights, and racism.
Centre members have worked in different regions on issues ranging from
democratic and electoral processes in post-communist countries and Latin
America, to human rights in the European Union.
Research Themes
The Centre has identified broad research themes that are designed to
streamline and structure the diverse interests of its members. These themes are
intended to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, especially across emerging
areas of contemporary human rights research. Presently, these themes include:
- human rights in situations of acute crisis: humanitarian law, armed conflict and peacekeeping
- security and human rights: treatment of prisoners under international law
- torture and policing
- people on the move: migration, refugees and asylum
- the Human Rights Act 1998 and the promotion and protection of human rights in the United Kingdom
- health and human rights
- democracy, elections and international democratic assessment
- trade, business and human rights
- gender and human rights of women
- race, ethnicity, minority rights and indigenous peoples