In international relations today, there are serious debates about problems of global terrorism and security, extreme poverty, relations among people of differing religious or beliefs, genocide and gross violations of human rights, and global governance. Leaders of government and civil society, and the academic world, are in need of policy and normative frameworks for treading the way forward in responding to these global challenges. Contemporary human rights ideas provide the frame of reference and the anchor points for addressing these issues. Human rights provide benchmarks for the conduct of governments and the management of international relations. Building on the principles of the United Nations Charter they provide the indispensable normative and policy framework of the international community for determining the legitimacy of governments and for arbitrating issues of justice in our times. Contemporary Human Rights Ideas provides a short and accessible introduction to the key human rights concepts, the current debates about human rights, strategies and institutions for taking forward the global implementation of human rights, and the core messages that need to be imparted to students and the public at large.--Publisher description.