Rights in the mandate and work of international organisations

The normative output of international organisations is rarely legally binding as such. Yet, agendas and operational policies of international organisations have implications for both states and individuals. The current special issue explores the variety through which international organisations engage with human rights. The contributions of the special issue all approach this question from the perspective of the mandate and work of individual organisations. While on the one hand the engagement of organisations with human rights is defined by the institutional law of the organisation, it is also determined by administrative processes, normative frames and professional culture. In exploring the variety by which human rights become part of the work of organisations, the contributions raise questions ranging from conceptual endorsement of a rights-based approach, to performing organisation-specific functions and practical implementation, to staff emancipation. All of these aspects, the special issue shows, can be crucial for understanding the human rights endorsement (or lack of it) of international organisations.