Although human rights were initially conceived as rights of the individual in relation to the state, there is growing recognition that human rights must also be respected in the international arena. This five-volume series set brings together the most important and influential scholarship on issues around human rights in the area of international law. The volumes include a wide range of essays selected from an international search of print and electronic content and feature a substantial introduction by the volume editor which provides an overview of the topic of each volume. The series includes foundational articles on the development of international human rights law and covers issues on the current challenges facing international human rights lawyers and scholars, the UN system of rights, regional human rights systems and the fundamental principles of equality and non-discrimination under international law. The five volumes in this series are edited by leading scholars in the field and taken together provide an invaluable research tool for scholars and students interested in the growing field of international human rights. The five volumes in this series are: Volume I: The Development of International Human Rights Law Volume II: Equality and Non-Discrimination under International Law Volume III: Challenges in International Human Rights Law Volume IV: The United Nations System for Protecting Human Rights Volume V: Regional Human Rights Systems

The principles of equality and non-discrimination lie at the heart of international human rights law. They are the only human rights explicitly included in the UN Charter and they appear at the beginning of virtually every major human rights instrument. This volume contains selected works by leading authors on the subject of equality and non-discrimination under international law. The selections are grouped into four sections. The first presents essays that explore theoretical concepts of equality and non-discrimination. The next addresses the development of international legal standards on the subject. The third presents articles analyzing how those standards have been interpreted and applied by UN and regional human rights bodies, and the last contains works on what measures besides legal action States are to take to in order to achieve equality and non-discrimination.