The Human Rights Component of Foreign Policy

The focus of this study, which considers a period ranging from the end of the Cold War
to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, is placed on the whole 'human
rights component' of foreign policy, which is intended as the combination
of three dimensions that are part of the same policy effort but
can analytically be distinguished among them.

Framed into the broader conceptual debate that addresses the controversial role of human rights in the foreign policies of states, this book aims to critically investigate whether, how and to what extent human rights matter in the definition of Italy's external action. The focus of this study, which considers a period ranging from the end of the Cold War to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, is placed on the whole 'human rights component' of foreign policy, which is intended as the combination of three dimensions that are part of the same policy effort but can analytically be distinguished among them: 'institutional dialogue'; 'multilateral initiative' and 'bilateral emphasis'. This book investigates the consistency of this whole foreign policy component between the content and scope of the human rights discourse of Italian foreign policy- makers domestically and internationally and the actual efforts put in place by the country to advance the global human rights agenda, its institutions and procedures in both multilateral and bilateral settings.

Auteur

Pietro de Perini, Ph.D in International Politics (City, University of London), is a researcher at the University of Padova Department of Political Science, Law and International Studies. He is affiliated with the University Human Rights Centre "A. Papisca" and is co-editor-in-chief of the Italian Yearbook of Human Rights series.

Contenu

Pietro de Perini: Introduction- Foreign Policy and Human Rights: between Moral Principles, Material Interests and Role Conceptions- The Place and Weight of Human Rights in Italy's Foreign Policy Initiative- The Institutional Dialogue between Italy and International Human Rights Mechanisms- Assessing the 'Human Rights Component' of Italy's Foreign Policy through its UPR performance- General Conclusions- References