International instrument1948
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
United Nations General Assembly
The foundational declaration of the human rights that all people hold, including expression, assembly, association and fair trial guarantees.
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- FR
Toolkit
Resources
International instruments, national laws, toolkits, training guides and glossaries for defenders, journalists and educators.
Resource library
14 of 14 resources
International instrument1966
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
United Nations
Binding treaty guaranteeing freedoms of expression, association and assembly, fair trial rights and protection of the family and privacy.
- EN
- FR
International instrument1966
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
United Nations
Binding treaty on rights to work, education, health and an adequate standard of living, with progressive realisation obligations.
- EN
- FR
International instrument1984
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment
United Nations
Absolute prohibition of torture, obligations of prevention, investigation and redress, and the CAT committee monitoring system.
- EN
- FR
International instrument1981
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
African Union
The continent's principal human rights instrument, combining civil-political and socio-economic rights with individual duties.
- EN
- FR
National law2015 revision
Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda (2003, revised)
Republic of Rwanda
The supreme law, including its bill of rights covering expression, assembly, association, due process and access to information. Authoritative consolidated text pending verification.
- EN
- FR
- RW
National lawPending verification
Law governing the exercise of the freedom of association
Republic of Rwanda
The statutory framework for forming and operating associations. Exact citation and consolidated text to be verified before publication.
- EN
- FR
- RW
National lawPending verification
Access to information legislation
Republic of Rwanda
Statutory right to request information from public bodies, including response deadlines and complaint channels. Exact citation pending verification.
- EN
- FR
- RW
Toolkit2026
Toolkit: documenting a human rights violation safely
HRV
Step-by-step guidance on recording what happened, storing notes securely, handling images and video, and protecting sources while documenting.
- EN
Toolkit2026
Toolkit: writing a public appeal that authorities read
HRV
How to structure a rights appeal: the facts, the legal basis, the specific ask, and the follow-up plan.
- EN
Training guide2025
Training guide: running a community rights-education session
HRV
A facilitator's guide for two-hour community sessions on fundamental rights, with exercises, discussion prompts and take-home materials.
- EN
Training guide2026
Training guide: court observation for first-time monitors
HRV
What to watch for in a hearing, how to take neutral notes, and how observation feeds a fair-trial assessment. Companion to the Justice & Trial Monitor.
- EN
Glossary2026
Glossary of human rights terms (EN–FR)
HRV
Plain-language definitions of the terms used across HRV's monitoring, education and advocacy work, with French equivalents.
- EN
- FR
Glossary2026
Glossary: fair trial vocabulary for non-lawyers
HRV
Courtroom and procedure terms explained without legal jargon, from arraignment to verdict, mapped to fair trial standards.
- EN
Access note: for international instruments we point to the authoritative UN / African Union texts. National law citations and HRV-produced toolkits are illustrative pending verification before publication.