The book offers a comprehensive and clear introduction for students and those interested in human rights, written by a renowned human rights expert. It not only provides an introduction to the diversity of issues, actors and institutions in human rights policy and politics, but also offers assistance and suggestions on how the complex reality of human rights politics can be described and analysed with the help of political science and related disciplines. It deals with civil society engagement in human rights as well as state obligations and international efforts to protect human rights.This is an open access book.