The year 1988 marked the fortieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly as "a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations." The principles of the Declaration have become the foundation of a new international law of human rights, which has been translated into international treaties, constitutional provisions, and foreign policy precepts around the world.

New Directions in Human Rights examines the contemporary and future role of international law and practice in the "real world." Written by both practitioners and scholars, the book describes the successes and failures of the international human rights movement in a comprehensive and pragmatic manner. The contributing authors take a progressive view of this ever-expanding field and suggest areas on which those concerned with developing and implementing human rights should focus.

The authors write on such topics as the contribution human rights can make in armed conflicts; the relevance of international standards to human rights issues; development of a new human rights standard for extradition as a response to political crimes; the prospects for international implementation of women's rights; traditional international law and modern human rights in conflicts in which minority interests run counter to the rights of the majority; the application of international human rights norms in federal and state courts; and redressing past abuses of human rights.