As mentioned at the beginning, this book introduces the diversity of topics, actors and institutions in human rights politics. Much could and should be expanded on and supplemented. At the same time, the book also contains guidance and suggestions on how human rights politics can be conceptualised and examined. Inevitably, this is only a small selection of social science approaches. Many more are possible. The range of epistemological-methodological approaches to the social phenomena to be described, explained or understood—such as human rights politics—is considerable in the social sciences. Whichever approach is chosen, however: the analysis of human rights policy remains strangely anaemic if human rights are only an academic exercise and not a genuine concern.

Thus, social science analyses can contribute significantly to the understanding of human rights and to the success of human rights policies. They show, for example, that a successful human rights policy requires many things: vibrant civil societies that are committed to demanding human rights and that need to be protected and promoted; courageous governments that stand up for human rights even in the face of opposition and that gear their policies towards implementing human rights in the best possible way; strong, inclusive institutions in which human rights problems are dealt with seriously and that offer those affected and their supporters the necessary legal and institutional backing. At the same time, however, it is also important to focus on counterforces in politics and society that question established human rights standards and try to fend off human-rights claims; these have gained considerably in significance in recent years. Furthermore, politics as well as academia are called upon to always look beyond the actual human rights politics to the overarching political, economic, social and ecological conditions that are conducive or detrimental to the realisation of human rights. Only in this way human rights politics can develop into politics and actions that comprehensively respect, protect and fulfil human rights. As has already been emphasised, the realisation of human rights is (or should be) a highly demanding, critical-emancipatory political project that is democratically, socially and ecologically oriented. We should adhere to this.