Sanctioned by the 1945 Universal Declaration and defended by the international community, human rights are promulgated and violated, celebrated and infringed upon, on a daily basis. This book offers a guide to the safeguard mechanisms - involving, among others, the United Nations, the European Court of Human Rights, and the African Commission of Human and Peoples' Rights - and highlights their strong and weak points. The normative bases for the international protection of human rights were established in the 20th century; in the 21st century we face the challenge of substantiating these rights in every region of the world and ensuring that every nation assumes responsibility for the preservation of human dignity.

Salvatore Zappalà teaches Constitutional Law at the University of Catania.