The United Nations and Human Rights A Guide for a New Era

Julie Mertus is a rare academic, one who combines serious scholarship with extensive experience of human rights practice and the ability to communicate her passion for her subject-matter to a wide audience. Her concise and readable work was widely welcomed when it appeared in 2005, and this new edition will not disappoint. She has now provided an incisive and informed response to the Human Rights Council and the Global Compact, as well as bringing the whole text up to date. As Mertus concludes, "the promise of human rights remains unfulfilled"; but she shows how the United Nations is working, against the odds, to turn ideals into practice. Students, activists and scholars will all benefit from this splendid short guide. - Professor Bill Bowring, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK