The focus of this volume is on the various forms of local, informal and/or customary law and their interaction with human rights.

On the occasion of the 60 anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this special issue of the OECD Journal on Development focuses on robust methods and tools for assessing human rights, democracy and governance.

The twelfth in the series of yearbooks on Human Rights in Development the current millennium edition attempts to take stock of developments in the human rights arena since the Universal Declaration was adopted over half a century ago. The introductory overview article chronicles developments within the human rights field to date and sets the stage for a future scenario by looking at the respective roles of governments and the business community in respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights. An article on the World Trade Organisation follows the challenges posed by international trade in a human rights perspective. The appropriateness of so-called smart sanctions as a means of bolstering human rights is discussed in a third contribution. A fourth highlights the gender dimensions of the statute of the new international criminal court. The challenge of accommodating diversity and the rights of indigenous peoples in the new political dispensation of Guatemala is assessed in a fifth essay, whereas affirmative action policies within the context of Malaysia are examined in a sixth one. The difficulties inherent in designing, managing and evaluating aid programmes for human rights and democracy purposes is the theme of the penultimate contribution, whereas the final article considers the use of research in designing aid projects in the judicial system of Nepal. The Yearbook on Human Rights in Development is a joint project of European and Canadian research institutes and centres on human rights: the Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen; the Danish Centre for Human Rights, Copenhagen; the Icelandic Human Rights Centre, Reykjavik; the Ludwig Boltzman Institute of Human Rights, Vienna; the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, Montreal; the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights, Utrecht; the Norwegian Institute of Human Rights, Oslo; and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Lund. The Yearbook is geared to a broad readership, including government agencies, donors, embassies, the mass media, non-governmental organisations, the academic community, and the interested public at large.

Beth Simmons demonstrates through a combination of statistical analysis and case studies that the ratification of treaties generally leads to better human rights practices. She argues that international human rights law should get more practical and rhetorical support from the international community as a supplement to broader efforts to address conflict, development, and democratization.

The Human Rights in Development Yearbook series takes its starting point in a development perspective and aims to be topical, comprehensive and multidisciplinary, exemplifying the “cross-fertilisation” of theoretical and practical approaches.

The Global Citizenship Commission was convened, under the leadership of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the auspices of NYU’s Global Institute for Advanced Study, to re-examine the spirit and stirring words of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The result – this volume – offers a 21st-century commentary on the original document, furthering the work of human rights and illuminating the ideal of global citizenship. What does it mean for each of us to be members of a global community? Since 1948, the Declaration has stood as a beacon and a standard for a better world. Yet the work of making its ideals real is far from over. Hideous and systemic human rights abuses continue to be perpetrated at an alarming rate around the world. Too many people, particularly those in power, are hostile to human rights or indifferent to their claims. Meanwhile, our global interdependence deepens. Bringing together world leaders and thinkers in the fields of politics, ethics, and philosophy, the Commission set out to develop a common understanding of the meaning of global citizenship – one that arises from basic human rights and empowers every individual in the world. This landmark report affirms the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and seeks to renew the 1948 enterprise, and the very ideal of the human family, for our day and generation.

The tenth in a series of yearbooks, this edition contains articles on topical human rights issues as well as surveys of individual countries. A new feature is that more attention is given to `self-monitoring' articles investigating the human rights policies of countries in the North on specific issues and sectors. Another feature is that more effort is given to collaboration between institutions in the North and the South in writing articles and surveys. Both will be strengthened in future editions. The topics covered this year are development aid in support of indigenous peoples in Latin America, Dutch experiences with the linkage of aid to human rights observance in Mozambique, and an evaluation of Norway's human rights policies and aid with regard to the Palestinian areas in the wake of the Oslo Agreement. As a regular feature the Yearbook assesses human rights trends in various countries of the South, covering the full range from civil and political rights to economic, social and cultural rights. This year's edition contains surveys of Cuba, Guatemala, Libya, Senegal, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. Cuba, Libya and Senegal are included for the first time. The Yearbook on Human Rights in Developing Countries is a joint project of the Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen; the Danish Centre for Human Rights, Copenhagen; the Icelandic Human Rights Center, Reykjavik; the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, Vienna; the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights, Utrecht; the Norwegian Institute of Human Rights, Oslo; and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Lund.