Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1. The History of International Human Rights Law
1.1. Prehistory-Before World War II
1.2. The Universal Declaration
1.3. The Cold War Era
1.4. The Modern Era

Chapter 2. The Law and Institutions of Human Rights
2.1. The Proliferation of Treaties
2.2. The UN Committees, Council, and High Commission
2.3. The European Court and Other Regional Bodies
2.4. International Criminal Law and Judicial Institutions
2.5. National Institutions

Chapter 3. Why Do States Enter Human Rights Treaties?
3.1 To Improve Human Rights
3.2 The Costs of Entering Human Rights Treaties
3.3 The 'Western Imperialism' Criticism and Its Limits

Chapter 4. Do States Comply with Human Rights Treaties?
4.1. Human Rights Treaties and the Question of Compliance
4.2. Statistical Studies: What They Show

Chapter 5. Why Do States Comply or (Not Comply) With Human Rights Treaties?
5.1 International Incentives to Comply
5.2 Domestic Incentives to Comply
5.3 Ambiguity and Inconsistency
5.4 Why International Organizations Are No Solution
5.5 A Failure of Will
5.6 The Problem of Epistemic Uncertainty
5.7 The Importance of Political Participation
5.8 Reprise

Chapter 6. Human Rights and War
6.1 The Human Rights Peace
6.2 Humanitarian Intervention
6.3 The League of Democracies

Chapter 7. A Fresh Start: Human Rights and Development
7.1 Three Dead Ends
7.2 The White Man's Burden

About the Author

Eric A. Posner teaches at the University of Chicago. He has written nine books and more than one hundred articles on international law, constitutional law, and other topics. He has written opinion pieces for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Republic, Slate, and other popular media. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the American Law Institute.

Reviews

"The Twilight of Human Rights Law is an important assessment of human rights law, useful for human rights scholars in general, persons interested in European Union law or anyone who desires a current analysis of human rights law." -Yasmin Morais, University of the District of Columbia Law School, DipLawMatic Dialogues
"...Mr. Posner's skepticism is bracing, and his claims usefully force readers back to the question of what we mean when we talk about human rights." -- Wall Street Journal
"Posner makes a strong case that human rights law needs to be approached with more care, more humility, and less hubris." - Reason.com