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6 Websites Where You Can Find Human Rights Case Studies

Human rights often feel like abstract concepts. To get a fuller understanding of how they are defended or violated in the real world, case studies are very useful. Through research and specific processes, case studies provide an in-depth look at individuals, groups, or situations over a certain period. Here are five websites where you can find human rights case studies:

Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)

BSR is a global nonprofit organization with a network of 250 member companies and other partners. Their mission is to develop sustainable business solutions and strategies through consultation, research, and collaboration. They work with international companies, government agencies, and NGOs.

On their website, they have many case studies on a variety of topics, including human rights. Many of the other topics overlap with human rights issues, such as climate change, healthcare, ethics and governance, and women’s empowerment. Human rights case studies include a collaboration between Kering (Kering Eyewear, Gucci, etc) and BSR on the status of women working in the Italian luxury supply chain.

UNESDOC Digital Library (UNESCO)

The UNESDOC Digital Library is an important element for the realization of UNESCO’s mission. The library gives access to documents, publications, and other materials either produced by UNESCO or relevant to UNESCO. That includes materials in education, natural sciences, social sciences, communication, and more. There are more than 350,000 documents dating back to 1945. In addition to the online library, there is a physical library and archives room.

By searching “human rights case studies” in the UNESDOC Digital Library, a variety of results come up. Some of these include global case studies on the impact of technology on human rights (published in 1993) and a document with case studies on human rights and encryption (published in 2016). There’s also a casebook on human dignity and human rights from 2011 that contains 30 case studies.

Security Human Rights Hub

The goal of this Knowledge Hub is to provide resources and tools for companies working in challenging environments. These companies deal with complex challenges. Many of them affect the human rights of local communities and threaten the safety and security of operations and staff. There have been many policy frameworks, documents, and tools created to help companies deal with these issues, but they are rarely shared widely. The Hub’s purpose is to bring these tools together.

The case studies section offers examples of companies around the world enacting good practices in dealing with security and human rights challenges. Case studies come from places like Columbia, Cameroon, the DRC, and Iraq.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is a non-departmental public body in Great Britain. It was first established by the Equality Act in 2006. Its goal is to “make Britain fairer” by serving as an expert organization and point of contact for public bodies, businesses, and policymakers.

Their selection of case studies is organized into topics like “Youth Cases,” “Balancing Human Rights,” and “How Human Rights Benefit Children and Young People’s Lives.” Many of the cases are presented within the context of human rights like the right to fair trial and protection from harm.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is a group of 13 trustees and 58 staff committed to advancing human rights in business. They track the human rights policy and performance of more than 9,000 companies in over 180 countries. The Centre focuses on positively impacting the lives of vulnerable people, collaborating with partners, and remaining objective.

In their case studies portal, the Centre has compiled cases that involve community-driven actions in response to business activities. You can search by business sector (agricultural, energy, sugar, etc) and human rights issues  (child labor, access to water, education, etc). You can also search by country/region or tools (how to: monitor impacts, access impacts, etc).

BBC World Service Trust Project

The BBC World Service Trust Project is a global education project. Using events, debates, and multi-lingual radio programs, the project seeks to educate individuals about their rights. For many years, they’ve used media solutions to spread awareness about poverty and human rights in areas like Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Their website is called “I have a right to…”

On this website, you can find case studies from around the world on topics like freedom and equality, justice before the law, and freedom of expression . Each of the studies correlates to an article from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . For example, the case study on privacy and the internet in the UK refers to Article 12, which is the right to privacy in the home, family, and correspondence.

Also consider reading our article about Resources to Research Human Rights Cases .

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About the author, emmaline soken-huberty.

Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. She started to become interested in human rights while attending college, eventually getting a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and climate change are of special concern to her. In her spare time, she can be found reading or enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty with her husband and dog.

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The case studies on this page include conciliated outcomes of human rights complaints and piggy-back complaints.

Human rights complaints

A human rights complaint is a complaint that a public entity has acted or made a decision that is incompatible with a person’s human rights, or has failed to properly consider human rights when making a decision. The complaint needs to indicate that one or more of the human rights in the Human Rights Act 2019 has been limited, and that the limitation is unreasonable and unjustified.

If a human rights complaint is accepted, the Commission’s role is to help the parties to resolve the complaint, usually through conciliation.

Piggy-back complaints

A complaint about an act or decision of a public entity that is dealt with under the Anti-Discrimination Act might also indicate that the act or decision is incompatible with human rights, or that the public entity has not properly considered human rights in making the decision. The human rights claim can be added to the discrimination complaint. This is called a piggy-back complaint.

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Improving processes to apply for disability parking, treatment of family with disabilities prompts training review, more responsive health services for man with klinefelter syndrome, resolution to complaint promoted family and kinship rights, access to health services for a man with disability seeking vaccination booster, perceptions of cultural safety in health service provision improved, alternative to mask-wearing provided for pregnant woman, quarantine exemption for woman picking up assistance dog, police express regret about asking traditional custodians to move on while exercising their cultural rights, unaccompanied children allowed to quarantine at home, employer takes steps to prevent breaches of privacy and reputation in future, suitable social housing secured for older woman with mobility issues, school and parents work together to support a child with a disability, woman's mental health deteriorates in hotel quarantine, transport service reviews disability policies and commits to training, family experiences challenges in hotel quarantine, approved absence from social housing allowed mother to pursue training opportunity, appropriate accommodation found for family's quarantine stay, health service acknowledges embarrassment experienced by patient with a disability, access to family during covid, crisis housing conflict resolved, quarantine exemption fast-tracked for child with asd, quarantine conditions exacerbate anxiety, illegal camping fines withdrawn, railway station upgrade for accessibility, disability awareness training for council, family needed accessible social housing.

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AP2: Human Rights

2020-08-03T06:46:00+01:00

ANDRA AP FONDEN (AP2)

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• AUM: SEK381.3 billion

AP2 assessed the human rights outcomes of its internally managed, quantitative, global listed equities portfolio, to identify which of its companies to engage with further. The diversity of the portfolio’s holdings represents a driver and a challenge for establishing a clear idea of the outcomes across the asset class. This follows Part 1 (Identify outcomes) of the PRI’s five-part framework, as highlighted in the report Investing with SDG outcomes – a five-part framework .

Why we consider human rights outcomes

AP2 is a government agency, whose operations are regulated in accordance with the Swedish National Pension Funds Act (2000:192). According to the legislation, the AP-Funds are required to manage their assets in an exemplary manner through responsible investment and ownership, with an emphasis on promoting sustainable development and human rights. AP2’s asset management should also benefit the state income pension system as much as possible.

To fulfil its legal requirements and following our conviction that a sustainability perspective can contribute to better investment decisions, AP2 has constructed a portfolio whose return characteristics meet the needs of the pension system and where sustainability is integrated into its management. The fund invests in many portfolio companies that are active across the globe in different sectors, exposing it to numerous negative human rights outcomes which AP2 actively tries to manage.

How we consider human rights outcomes

When assessing the potential human rights risks within our global equity portfolio, we limited our analysis to focus only on negative human rights outcomes. The analysis sought to identify common risks for negative human rights outcomes in sectors in which our portfolio companies operate. For example, risks in an industry with wide-ranging problems such as the use of slave labour would be assessed as severe.

We also focused on whether portfolio companies operated in a context or region considered highly susceptible to human rights abuses, and whether the companies had instituted policies and processes for managing these risks.

In determining the severity of potential human rights outcomes, special attention was paid to the scale, scope and irremediable character of the risks. Activities where vulnerable groups such as women, children, minorities or indigenous peoples might be adversely affected were also deemed severe. We followed the UN Guiding Principles, meaning our assessment focused on the risks to people rather than the risks to businesses.

Example: Human rights outcomes assessment

Prioritising risks

AP2 used the UNEPFI Human Rights Guidance Tool for the financial sector to screen risks within different sectors. AP2 identified approximately 40 sub-sectors with severe potential for negative human rights outcomes. Selecting one sub-sector, AP2 consulted with human rights experts to retrieve information regarding specific regions where there might be a higher probability of human rights abuses. AP2 then screened for portfolio companies in that sub-sector which were particularly exposed to high-risk regions.

When screening companies, we used internal company-specific information, such as data on incidents and controversies, as well as information available from internet sources. We then initiated a dialogue with the impacted companies, to obtain more information on their processes for human rights risk management.

AP2 encountered several challenges when performing its human rights risk assessment.

Prioritising the negative human rights outcomes that we identified in different sectors was challenging. This was resolved by having a solid risk identification and prioritisation process, to ensure that the most severe impacts that were most likely to occur were addressed first. AP2 believes that building internal skills and working in collaboration with other external stakeholders is one way forward in making more thorough assessments.

Another challenge AP2 faced was a lack of adequate data, which made the assessment process inefficient. Obtaining geographic data on portfolio companies’ operations was difficult, making it challenging to identify those operating in high-risk locations. Assessing companies’ value chains was also difficult due to the lack of data, as companies were reluctant to report information regarding their supply chains or customers.

Moreover, finding company-specific data that was aligned with the UN Guiding Principles (i.e. data focusing on risks to people) proved difficult. AP2 found that company-specific human rights outcomes data was often reactive, as it was frequently based on incidents and controversies, making it difficult to identify risks proactively.

Using the results of our analysis

From the results of the analysis, AP2 aims to develop an in-house quantitative data model that can provide a more adequate and complete picture of negative human rights outcomes. AP2 will then use this data to assess which outcomes to prioritise and which companies to engage with. The model will systematically analyse and monitor specific issues, such as how the risk of child labour is changing in different sectors and countries over time.

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AI-Powered Ocean Protection and Sustainable Trade: The Galapagos Islands as a Case Study

May 5, 2024 | Innovating Trade , Online Scholarship

*Editor’s Note: This article is part of HILJ’s collaboration with the  Georgetown Journal of International Law  (“GJIL”) and the  Georgetown Center on Inclusive Trade and Development   on  Innovating Trade: The Intersection of Emerging Technologies, Climate Initiatives, and International Law . HILJ and GJIL each edited and published different articles in the collaboration. Articles published by GJIL are available on the  GJIL website . 

*María Isabel Ortiz Nuques

I. Introduction

The sea and nearby areas have served as a vital supply of resources and a trading hub for hundreds of years . Food security and the impact of ocean activities on the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment are complex issues that interact with trade. In times where change is urgently needed, trade must adapt to environmental protection in a world shaken by the climate crisis.  In this context, fishing activities would benefit from artificial intelligence (“AI”)-powered tools to manage resources and understand fish populations amidst the transformations expected due to climate change.

This piece will focus on the Galapagos Islands as a case study. First, it will briefly illustrate how protecting marine environments has implications for human right protections. Second, it will provide an overview of the challenges the Galapagos Islands’ marine ecosystem faces regarding overfishing and unsustainable fishing practices. Third, this piece will exemplify how AI can create complex models that better reflect the state of fisheries under the pressures of climate change, which can be a helpful tool to prevent overfishing and protect fish stocks. Fourth, it will explore how AI-powered models may become a key tool for the application of international trade instruments in the future.

II. Climate change, the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment and the Galápagos Fisheries

The rapid deterioration of ecosystems due to climate change and biodiversity loss creates serious consequences for areas such as human rights and trade. These crises affect the rights to life, health, food, water, and adequate standard of living of human beings around the world, including those belonging to vulnerable groups, which may be disproportionally affected. The consequences of environmental degradation are alarming and deeply connected to the universal need for a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, which has been recognized as a human right by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

One of the world’s most sensitive ecosystems is the Galapagos Islands, around 900 kilometers (560 miles) west of the Ecuadorian coast. Its population mainly relies on tourism, fishing, and agriculture as economic activities, all of which would be deeply affected by the climate emergency. Climate change thus directly threatens Galapagos Islanders’ livelihoods. The waters surrounding the Galapagos Islands are rich and ecologically diverse . This diversity made them a target for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing , which has put iconic species such as the scalloped hammerhead shark at great risk.

The Galapagos area’s biological richness has also been affected by overfishing , as exemplified by the brown sea cucumber populations in the area. The sea cucumber serve an important ecological function by consuming debris and sediment. However, sea cucumber have been intensely fished for consumption to the point where fishing bans have had to be implemented for several years in the islands. In 2021, the sea cucumber fishery in the Galapagos Islands was reopened, only for it to be closed again two weeks later . While sea cucumber, by law, can only be fished inside the Galapagos exclusive economic zone (“EEZ”) using artisanal methods, the fact that 90 percent of the total catch goes to Asian countries shows how important trade is to sea cucumber preservation.

At the same time, marine resources outside of EEZs are available for fishing by international ships under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea . This has resulted in several instances where fishing fleets – mostly comprised of Chinese vessels – line up just outside the Ecuadorian EEZ around the Galapagos Islands. Some of these ships have resorted to turning off tracking devices to avoid recognition. In FAO Fishing Area 87, where the Galapagos Islands are located, Chinese distant water fleet (“DWF”) vessels reported losses even after ample subsidies from the Chinese government. These losses suggest that some vessels could be participating in IUU fishing to remain profitable. Fisheries’ subsidies allow unprecedented and usually unsustainable fishing operations and remain one of the main causes of overfishing. Specifically, around the Galapagos Islands, fishing for large-scale Chinese DWF fleets is unprofitable without such aid .

III. Climate change and AI as a tool to anticipate the unknown

The practices conducted by fishing fleets around the Galapagos Islands are not an isolated phenomenon. Around the world, similar dynamics arise between countries with rich fish stocks and countries with ample fishing demand and considerable subsidies to the fishing industry. The rapid pace at which fish stocks are depleting globally is concerning . These pressures are only worsened by climate change, which is expected to shift the dynamics of marine ecosystems and affect the abundance, migratory patterns, and locations of fish stocks. Plenty of uncertainty remains about the impact of climate change on fisheries. However, AI can be a helpful tool in reducing this uncertainty, as powerful models of physical processes can be created to reflect the complex dynamics related to climate change.

AI can process enormous volumes of data. This allows humanity to better understand what the future behavior of fisheries may look like, and provides forecasts of fish stock abundance and distribution that can change and improve in accuracy as more data is introduced. Moreover, AI models can identify patterns and relationships that may be missed by human analysts . This competence is useful because some processes related to climate change are not yet completely understood. More accurate projections of fish stocks could be attained despite changing circumstances. If the results obtained from these AI models were to be taken into consideration for marine resource governance, they could contribute to the preservation of a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, and the protection of food security for future generations.

IV. An environmental shift for international trade law and its impact on human rights

Placing an emphasis on what the future may look like for fish populations in the context of climate change is an important tool to create policy that prioritizes responsible fishing and the sustainable trade of existing fish stocks. AI-generated models can comply with international law as it shifts towards environmental considerations. In 2022, the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) members adopted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies to end certain fisheries subsidies. The deal is the first WTO agreement to focus on the environment. Its provisions prohibit subsidies to fishing on overfished stocks like the brown sea cucumber population around the Galapagos Islands.

The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies considers a stock to be overfished if it is recognized as such by the coastal member under whose jurisdiction the fishing is taking place or by a relevant regional fishery management organization or arrangement in areas and species under its competence. These entities must base their decisions on the best scientific evidence available according to Article 4 of the Agreement. As AI models become increasingly sophisticated and accurate, their forecasts and calculations may become some of the best scientific evidence available to detect and predict overfishing in light of climate change conditions, to the point where they could become necessary for making overfishing designations under the Agreement.

Taking emerging technologies into consideration when developing international policy is necessary to secure the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, which is intertwined with many other rights. The right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment holds a profound connection with food security, for example, which is increasingly threatened because of climate change. These interconnections mean that protecting our seas using the best scientific methods available is a key commitment to be adopted by states around the world. Since marine resource governance is inextricably linked with trade, international trade law must adapt to further advance environmental and sustainability goals for the future of humanity. It can do so with the help of rapidly advancing technologies.

IV. Conclusions

The links that connect humans, the sea, and trade have existed for hundreds of years. Recently, marine resource governance has become more complex as the world population grows and develops more powerful fishing systems to satisfy global needs for food. An important challenge marine ecosystems face alongside the pressures of unsustainable fishing are the transformations expected to take place because of climate change, which puts the environment and global food security at risk.

The impact of fishing activities is deeply intertwined with international trade and decisions that make fishing profitable, such as subsidies for DWF vessels. Fishing activities inside the Galapagos EEZ and around it show how some fish populations that serve an important ecological function but are highly regarded as commodities in international trade, such as the brown sea cucumber, can struggle with current fishing demands and policies.

While climate change is imminent, uncertainty remains regarding marine ecosystems. This uncertainty continues to be a major obstacle for decision-making towards better fisheries management worldwide. In this sense, AI can help better predict fish stock abundance, behavior, and location as the effects of climate change regrettably continue. AI continues to play a central role in technological developments regarding marine ecosystem management. At the same time, international trade law is moving toward an increasingly environmental approach, as shown by the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which in part seeks to control subsidies for overfished stocks. Determinations of overfished stocks must rely on the best scientific evidence available. Soon, ever-progressing AI models may play a crucial part in trade and environment negotiations.

*María Isabel Ortiz Nuques received her law degree with honors from the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil, has a special interest in arbitration and international law, and currently works as a tribunal secretary in arbitration cases. She would like to thank the HILJ editorial team for their comments and feedback.

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