General Instruments in the Regional Systems
   
 
 
Council of Europe
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights, ECHR)
Date of Adoption: 4/11/1950 Entry into force: 3/9/1953  
Reference: ETS no. : 005
European Social Charter
Date of Adoption: 18/10/1961 Entry into force: 26/2/1965  
Reference: ETS no. : 035
European Agreement relating to Persons Participating in Proceedings of the European Commission and Court of Human Rights
Date of Adoption: 6/5/1969 Entry into force: 17/4/1971  
Reference: ETS no. : 067
European Social Charter (revised)
Date of Adoption: 3/5/1996 Entry into force: 1/7/1999  
Reference: ETS no. : 163
 
European Union
Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
Date of Adoption: 18/4/1951 Entry into force: 23/7/1952  
Reference: ECSC Treaty 1951
Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC)(Treaty of Rome)
Date of Adoption: 25/3/1957 Entry into force: 1/1/1958  
Reference: O.J. 340, 10.11.1997
Joint Declaration by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission Concerning the Protection of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
Date of Adoption: 5/4/1977 Entry into force: -  
Reference: Official Journal C 103 , 27/04/1977 p. 0001 - 0002
Single European Act
Date of Adoption: 28/2/1986 Entry into force: 1/7/1987  
Reference: OJ L 169, 29. 6. 1987
Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty, amended by the Treaty of Amsterdam) (Consolidated Version)
Date of Adoption: 7/2/1992 Entry into force: 1/11/1993  
Reference: The Treaty on European Union (as amended 02/10/1997 by the Treaty of Amsterdam)
Declaration of the European Union on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights
Date of Adoption: 10/12/1998 Entry into force: -  
Reference: Declaration of the European Union 10/12/98
Cologne European Council Decision on the Drawing Up of a Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
Date of Adoption: 4/6/1999 Entry into force: -  
Reference: Annex IV to the Cologne European Council (3 and 4 June 1999) Presidency conclusions
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
Date of Adoption: 7/12/2000 Entry into force: -  
Reference: O.J. no. C 364/ 1, 18 December 2000
 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
The Helsinki Final Act
Date of Adoption: 1/8/1975 Entry into force: -  
Reference: The Helsinki Final Act (CSCE)
Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE
Date of Adoption: 29/6/1990 Entry into force: -  
Reference: CSCE, Second Human Dimension Conference, Copenhagen 1990
Charter of Paris for a New Europe
Date of Adoption: 21/11/1990 Entry into force: -  
Reference: CSCE, Charter of Paris for a New Europe
Document of the Moscow Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE
Date of Adoption: 13/10/1991 Entry into force: -  
Reference: CSCE, Third Human Dimension Conference, Moscow 1991
Helsinki Document 1992: The Challenges of Change
Date of Adoption: 10/7/1992 Entry into force: -  
Reference: CSCE, Helsinki Document 1992
Decision of the Rome Council Meeting of the CSCE: CSCE and the New Europe - Our Security is Indivisible
Date of Adoption: 1/12/1993 Entry into force: -  
Reference: CSCE Fourth Ministerial Council, Rome 1993
 
Organization of African Unity
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (Banjul Charter)
Date of Adoption: 27/6/1981 Entry into force: 21/10/1986  
Reference: OAU doc. CAB/LEG/67/3 rev. 5, 21 I.L.M. 58 (1982)
Protocol of the Court of Justice of the African Union
Date of Adoption: 10/7/2003 Entry into force: -  
Reference: African Union
 
Organization of American States
Charter of the Organization of American States
Date of Adoption: 30/4/1948 Entry into force: 13/12/1951  
Reference: OAS Treaty Series, Nos. 1-C and 61 (A-41)
American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man
Date of Adoption: 2/5/1948 Entry into force: -  
Reference: O.A.S. Res. XXX
American Convention on Human Rights (Pact of San Jose, Costa Rica)
Date of Adoption: 22/11/1969 Entry into force: 18/7/1978  
Reference: OAS Treaty Series, No. 36 (B-32), OEA/Ser.L.V/II.82 doc.6 rev.1 at 67 (1992)
Statute of the Inter-american Commission on Human Rights
Date of Adoption: 10/1979 Entry into force: 11/1979  
Reference: O.A.S. Res. 447 (IX-0/79), O.A.S. Off. Rec. OEA/Ser.P/IX.0.2/80, Vol. 1 at 88
Statute of the Inter-American Court on Human Rights
Date of Adoption: 10/1979 Entry into force: 1/1/1980  
Reference: O.A.S. Res. 448 (IX-0/79), O.A.S. Off. Rec. OEA/Ser.P/IX.0.2/80, Vol. 1 at 98
 
Organization of the Islamic Conference
The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
Date of Adoption: 5/8/1990 Entry into force: -  
Reference: OIC Resolution No. 49/19-P
 
League of Arab States
Arab Charter on Human Rights
Date of Adoption: 5/9/1994 Entry into force: -  
Reference: Council of the League of Arab States, resolution 5437 (102nd regular session), Cairo
 
Asia-Pacifique Initiatives
Asian Human Rights Charter
Date of Adoption: 17/5/1998 Entry into force: 2000  
Reference: Declared in Kwangju, South Korea
 
Other
Magna Carta Libertatum (1215)
Date of Adoption: 15/6/1215 Entry into force: -  
Reference: -
Petition of Rights (1628)
Date of Adoption: 7/6/1628 Entry into force: -  
Reference: England, 1628
Bill of Rights (1689)
Date of Adoption: 13/2/1689 Entry into force: -  
Reference: England, 1689
The Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776)
Date of Adoption: 12/6/1776 Entry into force: -  
Reference: -
Declaration of Independence (1776 - Philadelphia)
Date of Adoption: 4/7/1776 Entry into force: -  
Reference: -
Bill of Rights (1789 - US)
Date of Adoption: 4/3/1789 Entry into force: 15/12/1791  
Reference: US Constitution, first 10 Amendments
French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789)
Date of Adoption: 26/8/1789 Entry into force: -  
Reference: -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of the Year I (1793)
Date of Adoption: 24/6/1793 Entry into force: -  
Reference: From the French Constitution of the Year I (1793)
Declaration of Rights and Duties of Man and Citizen (1795)
Date of Adoption: 1795 Entry into force: 26/10/1795  
Reference: From the French Constitution of the Year III (1795)
Constitution of the Second Republic and Abolition of Slavery (1848)
Date of Adoption: 28/10/1848 Entry into force: -  
Reference: France
Constitution of Mexico (1917)
Date of Adoption: 31/1/1917 Entry into force: -  
Reference: -
Declaration of Rights of the Laboring and Exploited People
Date of Adoption: 12/1/1918 Entry into force: -  
Reference: Article 1 of the Constitution of the USSR
ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
Date of Adoption: 18/6/1998 Entry into force: -  
Reference: International Labour Organization