Work on the search system is being co-ordinated by Huridocs - a non-profit group set up to help human rights groups, non-governmental groups and researchers do a better job of cataloguing and sharing information.

The project began by indexing documents and data prepared by large campaigning groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Anti-Slavery International.

Now these have been joined by thousands of other organisations around the world who upload information into the database ready for searching.

Before its creation much of the detailed local information about rights abuses could have been overlooked.

Huridocs estimates that the system now holds more than 2.5 million pages from more than 3,000 separate websites. Users can search the database in 77 languages.

Work on the system, called Hurisearch, started in 2003 and now it is completed it is due to get its official launch on 10 December - Human Rights Day.

By pooling information the groups hope to do a better job of co-ordinating work to highlight human rights abuse and campaigns to free prisoners of conscience.