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Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945
Book reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 457 – 491
471
Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945 By Winston E. Langley. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. 393 pp. ISBN: 0-313-30163-8. US$65.00 The recent dramatic events in the Balkans and in Rwanda have, once again, highlighted the need for global promotion, protection, and enforcement of human rights. To remedy or prevent such violations, a complex body of international instruments addressing civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights has been developed, mainly under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) since 1945. With the increased number and complexity of these instruments and the heightened awareness of violations, research and information needs in this field have increased as well. Thus, the need for reference tools that provide ready access to information and materials documenting this development have become a necessity. The Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945 appears to be a timely response to this need and a welcome update and supplement to existing reference resources. The Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945 offers broad coverage of all aspects and issues in the arena of human rights. More than 400 alphabetically arranged entries of an average length of approximately one page cover governmental and nongovernmental human rights organizations, concepts and issues, legal instruments, historical events, profiles of countries with a record of human rights violations, as well as activists and political figures. Each entry is followed by ‘‘see also’’ references indicating related entries and supplemented by suggestions for ‘‘Further Reading’’ which include references to journal and newspaper articles, monographs, and collections of international treaties. Terms used in the text of the entry, which cross-reference entry headings, appear in bold type. Prefatory materials include an interesting introduction that surveys the human rights movement and summarizes ‘‘its political beginnings, conceptual reach, evolution and scope, and [its] agents [. . .]’’ (p. xi). The author, professor of political science and international relations at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and author of several books on human rights, also briefly reviews the ‘‘philosophical meaning of human rights’’ in the face of numerous challenges and controversies. Besides a list of abbreviations (p. xxi) and a time line of ‘‘Significant Dates in the Field of Human Rights’’ (p. xxvii), there is also a ‘‘User’s Guide’’ (p. xxv), which clarifies the meaning of citations at the end of individual entries. The appendices include a list of selected (nongovernmental) human rights organizations, a chart detailing ‘‘The United Nations and Human Rights,’’ the full text of the International Bill of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a glossary of human rights terms, and a detailed index. Entries describing organizations, organs, or agencies typically provide information about affiliation, date of creation, and type and scope of their mandate or activities. Most of these entries refer to organs or agencies in the UN System. Other entries cover regional intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and regional human rights commissions as well as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Entries for NGOs are supplemented with a ‘‘Further Information’’ section, usually containing an address and phone number. Since most of these organizations offer important information on their Web sites, it is unfortunate that the Internet
472
Book reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 457 – 491
addresses (URLs) for the organizations and agencies covered in the entries as well as in the list of organizations in the appendix are not included. A large number of entries define key human rights concepts and issues. They outline fundamental rights such as equality (p. 114), individual liberty and security (p. 188) or freedom of thought, conscience and religion (p. 281), which are recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Others describe human rights offenses and criminal behaviors such as domestic violence (p. 103), racism (p. 235), or rape (p. 237), which are implicitly or explicitly prohibited in human rights instruments. Generally, the text of the entries briefly defines the concepts, outlines how specific agencies and organizations developed instruments addressing these crimes, and provides excerpts of the most important sections of the instrument. Many entries deal with newly emerging concepts like cloning and bio-medicine (p. 52) or privacy (p. 227), concepts whose human rights implications are just now being addressed by organizations around the world. A last group of conceptual entries examines notions that apply to the historical development of the body of human rights instruments and their interpretation. Generations of rights (p. 131), for example, refers to an attempt to categorize human rights in terms of a generational succession, with first generation rights focusing ‘‘on freedom from various types of feared or threatened abuses’’ (p. 131), second generation rights being ‘‘rights to,’’ like the right to education, work, or equal pay, and third generation rights being called ‘‘solidarity rights,’’ such as the right to self-determination or the right of indigenous peoples. Another entry deals with relativism and universalism (p. 239), concepts that address the question whether human rights are applicable universally regardless of cultural or other differences or whether their validity depends on these differences. Entry headings for human rights instruments consist of the instrument’s official title. The entry text provides the date of adoption and of its entry into force, the body that adopted it and a brief discussion of its history and the rationale behind it. The text of the instrument is summarized, but entries often include excerpts from core articles or paragraphs. References to treaties or conventions appear in the ‘‘Further Reading’’ section of the entry. Unfortunately, the acronym ILM (International Legal Materials), which is cited frequently as a source for legal instruments, is neither included in the ‘‘List of Abbreviations’’ nor the instructions of the ‘‘User’s Guide.’’ For instruments that have their origin in the UN system, it would have been useful to include UN document symbols, which are widely used to arrange these materials. For instance, it is not easy to locate the original text for ‘‘Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners,’’ based on the information provided in the entry alone. It would have been beneficial to include the UN symbol number (A/CONF.6/1) to identify the publication. Furthermore, in this particular case, it would also have been of help to include, besides the reference to the original document, a reference to a later extension (E/RES/2076 (LXII)). Another set of entries analyzes events or incidents that indicate various human rights perspectives. Examples of such entries are the Kent State tragedy (p.177) and the My Lai massacre (p. 198). The entry text provides a summary of the events and analyzes the human rights issues involved. Other entries, such as the one on the Intifada (p. 169), examine violations of human rights that occurred as a result of political confrontations.
Book reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 457 – 491
473
A number of entries deal with countries responsible for human rights offenses and regions in which human rights violations have occurred. The entries on Kosovo (p.180), Kurdistan (p. 181), or Western Sahara (p. 310), for example, provide a brief outline of the recent history and present pertinent demographic and social facts that highlight the tensions that led to human rights infractions. For regions, the central issue involving human rights is their assertion of self-determination. Countries, on the other hand, in an attempt to quell separatist or secessionist attempts by political divisions or ethnic groups often violate international conventions about discrimination, civil and political rights, genocide, or war crimes. Entries for countries such as Iraq (p. 170), Serbia (p. 261), or Turkey (p. 287) describe the conflicts that give rise to these violations. Entries for countries like Chile (p. 47), Kuwait (p. 182), or Haiti (p. 137) document violations of human rights triggered by political developments ranging from issues such as enforced disappearances and discrimination against women to arbitrary arrest and detention. In addition, Russia (p. 250) and the United States (p. 298) are covered in lengthy entries and their respective violations of or lack of compliance with human rights instruments are discussed in detail. Biographical entries cover heads of state [e.g., Olaf Palme (p. 218), Joseph Stalin (p. 274)], activists [e.g., Gandhi (p. 129), Andrei Sakharov (p. 257)], or victims of human rights abuse [e.g., Abner Louima (p. 189), Rodney King (p. 178)]. The entries situate the subjects in their historical context and analyze their contributions to or violations of human rights. Entries for victims provide a condensed but detailed description of the incidents and analyze the issues that implicate human rights standards. Reference collections providing service to patrons interested in human rights most likely already have been using Edward Lawson’s (1996) Encyclopedia of Human Rights. This extensive compendium, currently in its second edition, presents a vast array of material about international, regional, and national human rights activities between 1945 and 1995. Its nearly 2000 pages with numerous entries and an ample selection of partial and complete texts of instruments offer a sweeping presentation of the status of global promotion and protection of human rights. Although not as comprehensive in its coverage of human rights documentation, the Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945 compares favorably with Lawson’s Encyclopedia. With its concise, well written articles, which provide an at-a-glance overview of the major topics in the field of human rights, and with its well-conceived system of see references, further-reading suggestions, and cross-references to related entries the present work fully achieves its stated goal of providing ‘‘[. . .] easy access to a wide range of major issues concerning human rights since 1945’’ (p. xxv). The title’s only shortcoming consists of an insufficient treatment of the UN system of documentation. To make the full texts of instruments and reports more easily accessible, it would have been beneficial to expand the ‘‘User’s Guide’’ to include a more detailed description of UN documentary conventions and to list, for instance, with their respective document symbols, major series of regular reports required from adherents to human rights conventions or of committee reports to the General Assembly (e.g., Convention On The Rights Of The Child (CRC/C/), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR/C), Human Rights Committee (A/[session number]/40 (Supplement No. 40)/GAOR Supplement No. 40). This shortfall notwithstanding, the Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945 is a handy, concise, and accessible
474
Book reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 457 – 491
reference tool for the complex field of global promotion and protection of human rights and it constitutes a valuable addition to reference collections in academic, public, and highschool libraries.
Note [1] Lawson, E (February 22, 1998). Encyclopedia of human rights. WashingtonTaylor and Francis.
Christoff Galli Perkins Library, Public Documents and Maps Duke University Durham, NC 27708-0177, USA PII: S 1 3 5 2 - 0 2 3 7 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 3 1 9 - 7
Encyclopedia of the US Census Margo J. Anderson (Ed.). Congressional Quarterly, Washington, DC, 2000. ISBN 1-56802428-2. US$125.00. 424 pp. The Encyclopedia of the US Census is a unique contribution to demographic reference. Arranged topically from A to Z, this single volume encyclopedia consists of 120 short essays that describe concepts and key aspects of the US Census program. Topics include the history, methodology, and politics of statistically profiling the US population. Perhaps the best feature of the encyclopedia is its appeal to a wide and varied audience. Both students of the social sciences (viz. geography, history, political science, sociology) and seasoned demographic researchers and planners will find the short articles informative and relevant. For those individuals who are unfamiliar with the census or demographics, Anderson has edited a convenient ready reference resource. Readers who need a more thorough analysis of the census will be well served by the many thoughtful examinations of demographic trends and controversies resulting from census policy and methods. Read cover to cover, the encyclopedia paints a vivid portrait of the complex inter-relationships between demographics and national development. The many topical articles in this CQ publication are written by dozens of experts on demographics and the census. Authors approach their subjects from a diverse collection of academic, governmental, and private sector experiences. Each article includes cross references to related articles (topics) and a short bibliography of essential books for further reading. When appropriate, articles provide maps, tables, and data. Separate appendices offer additional data and information: a list of Census Bureau superintendents and directors since 1850; a convenient table of US population and land area for each enumeration since 1790; centers of populations for each decennial count; congres-
471
Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945 By Winston E. Langley. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. 393 pp. ISBN: 0-313-30163-8. US$65.00 The recent dramatic events in the Balkans and in Rwanda have, once again, highlighted the need for global promotion, protection, and enforcement of human rights. To remedy or prevent such violations, a complex body of international instruments addressing civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights has been developed, mainly under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) since 1945. With the increased number and complexity of these instruments and the heightened awareness of violations, research and information needs in this field have increased as well. Thus, the need for reference tools that provide ready access to information and materials documenting this development have become a necessity. The Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945 appears to be a timely response to this need and a welcome update and supplement to existing reference resources. The Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945 offers broad coverage of all aspects and issues in the arena of human rights. More than 400 alphabetically arranged entries of an average length of approximately one page cover governmental and nongovernmental human rights organizations, concepts and issues, legal instruments, historical events, profiles of countries with a record of human rights violations, as well as activists and political figures. Each entry is followed by ‘‘see also’’ references indicating related entries and supplemented by suggestions for ‘‘Further Reading’’ which include references to journal and newspaper articles, monographs, and collections of international treaties. Terms used in the text of the entry, which cross-reference entry headings, appear in bold type. Prefatory materials include an interesting introduction that surveys the human rights movement and summarizes ‘‘its political beginnings, conceptual reach, evolution and scope, and [its] agents [. . .]’’ (p. xi). The author, professor of political science and international relations at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and author of several books on human rights, also briefly reviews the ‘‘philosophical meaning of human rights’’ in the face of numerous challenges and controversies. Besides a list of abbreviations (p. xxi) and a time line of ‘‘Significant Dates in the Field of Human Rights’’ (p. xxvii), there is also a ‘‘User’s Guide’’ (p. xxv), which clarifies the meaning of citations at the end of individual entries. The appendices include a list of selected (nongovernmental) human rights organizations, a chart detailing ‘‘The United Nations and Human Rights,’’ the full text of the International Bill of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a glossary of human rights terms, and a detailed index. Entries describing organizations, organs, or agencies typically provide information about affiliation, date of creation, and type and scope of their mandate or activities. Most of these entries refer to organs or agencies in the UN System. Other entries cover regional intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and regional human rights commissions as well as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Entries for NGOs are supplemented with a ‘‘Further Information’’ section, usually containing an address and phone number. Since most of these organizations offer important information on their Web sites, it is unfortunate that the Internet
472
Book reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 457 – 491
addresses (URLs) for the organizations and agencies covered in the entries as well as in the list of organizations in the appendix are not included. A large number of entries define key human rights concepts and issues. They outline fundamental rights such as equality (p. 114), individual liberty and security (p. 188) or freedom of thought, conscience and religion (p. 281), which are recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Others describe human rights offenses and criminal behaviors such as domestic violence (p. 103), racism (p. 235), or rape (p. 237), which are implicitly or explicitly prohibited in human rights instruments. Generally, the text of the entries briefly defines the concepts, outlines how specific agencies and organizations developed instruments addressing these crimes, and provides excerpts of the most important sections of the instrument. Many entries deal with newly emerging concepts like cloning and bio-medicine (p. 52) or privacy (p. 227), concepts whose human rights implications are just now being addressed by organizations around the world. A last group of conceptual entries examines notions that apply to the historical development of the body of human rights instruments and their interpretation. Generations of rights (p. 131), for example, refers to an attempt to categorize human rights in terms of a generational succession, with first generation rights focusing ‘‘on freedom from various types of feared or threatened abuses’’ (p. 131), second generation rights being ‘‘rights to,’’ like the right to education, work, or equal pay, and third generation rights being called ‘‘solidarity rights,’’ such as the right to self-determination or the right of indigenous peoples. Another entry deals with relativism and universalism (p. 239), concepts that address the question whether human rights are applicable universally regardless of cultural or other differences or whether their validity depends on these differences. Entry headings for human rights instruments consist of the instrument’s official title. The entry text provides the date of adoption and of its entry into force, the body that adopted it and a brief discussion of its history and the rationale behind it. The text of the instrument is summarized, but entries often include excerpts from core articles or paragraphs. References to treaties or conventions appear in the ‘‘Further Reading’’ section of the entry. Unfortunately, the acronym ILM (International Legal Materials), which is cited frequently as a source for legal instruments, is neither included in the ‘‘List of Abbreviations’’ nor the instructions of the ‘‘User’s Guide.’’ For instruments that have their origin in the UN system, it would have been useful to include UN document symbols, which are widely used to arrange these materials. For instance, it is not easy to locate the original text for ‘‘Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners,’’ based on the information provided in the entry alone. It would have been beneficial to include the UN symbol number (A/CONF.6/1) to identify the publication. Furthermore, in this particular case, it would also have been of help to include, besides the reference to the original document, a reference to a later extension (E/RES/2076 (LXII)). Another set of entries analyzes events or incidents that indicate various human rights perspectives. Examples of such entries are the Kent State tragedy (p.177) and the My Lai massacre (p. 198). The entry text provides a summary of the events and analyzes the human rights issues involved. Other entries, such as the one on the Intifada (p. 169), examine violations of human rights that occurred as a result of political confrontations.
Book reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 457 – 491
473
A number of entries deal with countries responsible for human rights offenses and regions in which human rights violations have occurred. The entries on Kosovo (p.180), Kurdistan (p. 181), or Western Sahara (p. 310), for example, provide a brief outline of the recent history and present pertinent demographic and social facts that highlight the tensions that led to human rights infractions. For regions, the central issue involving human rights is their assertion of self-determination. Countries, on the other hand, in an attempt to quell separatist or secessionist attempts by political divisions or ethnic groups often violate international conventions about discrimination, civil and political rights, genocide, or war crimes. Entries for countries such as Iraq (p. 170), Serbia (p. 261), or Turkey (p. 287) describe the conflicts that give rise to these violations. Entries for countries like Chile (p. 47), Kuwait (p. 182), or Haiti (p. 137) document violations of human rights triggered by political developments ranging from issues such as enforced disappearances and discrimination against women to arbitrary arrest and detention. In addition, Russia (p. 250) and the United States (p. 298) are covered in lengthy entries and their respective violations of or lack of compliance with human rights instruments are discussed in detail. Biographical entries cover heads of state [e.g., Olaf Palme (p. 218), Joseph Stalin (p. 274)], activists [e.g., Gandhi (p. 129), Andrei Sakharov (p. 257)], or victims of human rights abuse [e.g., Abner Louima (p. 189), Rodney King (p. 178)]. The entries situate the subjects in their historical context and analyze their contributions to or violations of human rights. Entries for victims provide a condensed but detailed description of the incidents and analyze the issues that implicate human rights standards. Reference collections providing service to patrons interested in human rights most likely already have been using Edward Lawson’s (1996) Encyclopedia of Human Rights. This extensive compendium, currently in its second edition, presents a vast array of material about international, regional, and national human rights activities between 1945 and 1995. Its nearly 2000 pages with numerous entries and an ample selection of partial and complete texts of instruments offer a sweeping presentation of the status of global promotion and protection of human rights. Although not as comprehensive in its coverage of human rights documentation, the Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945 compares favorably with Lawson’s Encyclopedia. With its concise, well written articles, which provide an at-a-glance overview of the major topics in the field of human rights, and with its well-conceived system of see references, further-reading suggestions, and cross-references to related entries the present work fully achieves its stated goal of providing ‘‘[. . .] easy access to a wide range of major issues concerning human rights since 1945’’ (p. xxv). The title’s only shortcoming consists of an insufficient treatment of the UN system of documentation. To make the full texts of instruments and reports more easily accessible, it would have been beneficial to expand the ‘‘User’s Guide’’ to include a more detailed description of UN documentary conventions and to list, for instance, with their respective document symbols, major series of regular reports required from adherents to human rights conventions or of committee reports to the General Assembly (e.g., Convention On The Rights Of The Child (CRC/C/), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR/C), Human Rights Committee (A/[session number]/40 (Supplement No. 40)/GAOR Supplement No. 40). This shortfall notwithstanding, the Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945 is a handy, concise, and accessible
474
Book reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 457 – 491
reference tool for the complex field of global promotion and protection of human rights and it constitutes a valuable addition to reference collections in academic, public, and highschool libraries.
Note [1] Lawson, E (February 22, 1998). Encyclopedia of human rights. WashingtonTaylor and Francis.
Christoff Galli Perkins Library, Public Documents and Maps Duke University Durham, NC 27708-0177, USA PII: S 1 3 5 2 - 0 2 3 7 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 3 1 9 - 7
Encyclopedia of the US Census Margo J. Anderson (Ed.). Congressional Quarterly, Washington, DC, 2000. ISBN 1-56802428-2. US$125.00. 424 pp. The Encyclopedia of the US Census is a unique contribution to demographic reference. Arranged topically from A to Z, this single volume encyclopedia consists of 120 short essays that describe concepts and key aspects of the US Census program. Topics include the history, methodology, and politics of statistically profiling the US population. Perhaps the best feature of the encyclopedia is its appeal to a wide and varied audience. Both students of the social sciences (viz. geography, history, political science, sociology) and seasoned demographic researchers and planners will find the short articles informative and relevant. For those individuals who are unfamiliar with the census or demographics, Anderson has edited a convenient ready reference resource. Readers who need a more thorough analysis of the census will be well served by the many thoughtful examinations of demographic trends and controversies resulting from census policy and methods. Read cover to cover, the encyclopedia paints a vivid portrait of the complex inter-relationships between demographics and national development. The many topical articles in this CQ publication are written by dozens of experts on demographics and the census. Authors approach their subjects from a diverse collection of academic, governmental, and private sector experiences. Each article includes cross references to related articles (topics) and a short bibliography of essential books for further reading. When appropriate, articles provide maps, tables, and data. Separate appendices offer additional data and information: a list of Census Bureau superintendents and directors since 1850; a convenient table of US population and land area for each enumeration since 1790; centers of populations for each decennial count; congres-