Introduction -- The place of human rights in the contemporary and globalised world -- The conceptual and international development of human rights -- Effectiveness of the UN human rights treaty bodies -- Effectiveness of the UN Human Rights Council and its challenges -- Effectiveness of the Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights -- The UN human rights special rapporteurs and their effectiveness in protecting human rights -- Effectiveness of other UN charter-based bodies and agencies associated with the UN -- Reform of the UN human rights system and the judicialisation of human rights at the international level -- Conclusions.