International Human Rights

The course “International Human Rights” will provide an overview of the current international human rights regime, covering the main international and regional human rights instruments and the different monitoring mechanisms. A substantial part of the course is dedicated to the discussion of cases. In the context of recent developments, we will address human rights topics such as freedom of expression, reproductive rights, and the protection of minorities. The course is designed for Master students.

Syllabus (subject to change) (PDF, 260 KB)

To access all information, updates and course materials, students need to enrol in our Moodle course. The enrollment password will be communicated in the first class. Classes will be held weekly on Wednesdays, from 10:15 to 12:00, starting 18 February 2026.

Attendance in class is mandatory for completing the course. Students may miss no more than two classes with prior notification by e-mail. Please read all the mandatory materials. Note that the programme's mandatory reading assignments below are subject to change throughout the semester. Additional readings, which will be uploaded to Moodle, are intended to assist you if any topics are of particular interest or difficulty.

Students are awarded 6 ECTS upon successful completion of the course. For a successful completion, students are required to give a mandatory group presentation on an assigned topic and engage in a discussion with the whole class. In addition to the exam at the end of the semester, the presentation will determine the final grade. More information will be provided in the first lecture.

We recommend purchasing Alison Bisset, Blackstone's International Human Rights Documents, 13th ed., Oxford, 2023. The course’s subjects are to a large extent covered by the various contributions in Daniel Moeckli/Sangeeta Shah/Sandesh Sivakumaran (eds.), International Human Rights Law, 4th ed., Oxford 2022, and Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade/Damián A. González-Salzberg, International Law of Human Rights, Oxford 2024 and by Olivier de Schutter, International Human Rights Law, 3rd ed., Cambridge 2019. Alternatively, you may find Walter Kaelin/Joerg Kuenzli, The Law of International Human Rights Protection, 2nd ed., Oxford 2019, helpful for your preparation.

In case you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Rebecca Gross, the assistant in charge at the chair of Prof. Kaufmann (lst.kaufmann@ius.uzh.ch).