Global Issues: Human Rights

Introduction

All people have the same basic legal rights, regardless of their gender, colour, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other distinction. Human rights cover a wide range of rights, such as the freedom from slavery and torture, the right to life and liberty, the freedom of speech, the right to a job and an education, among many more. These rights apply to everyone without exception.

International Human Rights Law

Governments are required by international human rights legislation to take certain actions or refrain from taking certain actions in order to advance and defend the fundamental liberties and rights of individuals and groups.

The development of a thorough body of human rights law—a universal, globally protected standard to which all countries can aspire—is one of the major accomplishments of the United Nations. A wide spectrum of universally recognised rights, such as civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights, have been defined by the United Nations. Additionally, it has put in place systems to support and safeguard these rights and help governments fulfil their obligations.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Charter, both ratified by the General Assembly in 1945 and 1948, serve as the cornerstones of this corpus of law. Since that time, the UN has gradually broadened the definition of human rights law to include specific requirements for women, children, people with disabilities, minorities, and other vulnerable groups. As a result, these groups now have rights that shield them from the discrimination that was once pervasive in many societies.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

A key document in the development of human rights is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The Declaration, which was written by representatives from all over the world with diverse legal and cultural backgrounds, was adopted as a universal benchmark of success for all peoples and all countries by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948, through General Assembly resolution 217 A (III). It lays out fundamental human rights that must be universally guaranteed for the first time. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the most translated document in history since its adoption in 1948, has served as the model for the constitutions of numerous newly independent States and numerous new democracies. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, along with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and their respective Optional Protocols, constitute the so-called International Bill of Human Rights.

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

In 1976, the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights became law. The Covenant aims to uphold and defend a variety of human rights, including

The right to labour under favourable and reasonable conditions;
The right to social safety, a sufficient standard of life, and the best levels of bodily and mental health that are feasible;
The right to education, enjoyment of benefits from cultural diversity, and advancement of science.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

In 1976, both the First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant itself came into effect. In 1989, the Second Optional Protocol was approved.

The Covenant addresses rights like freedom of movement, equality before the law, the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence, freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly, freedom of association, involvement in public affairs, and election protection. It forbids the arbitrary taking of life, torture, harsh or inhumane treatment, or punishment, forced labour, slavery, arbitrary detention or arrest, invasion of privacy, war propaganda, discrimination, and the promotion of racial or religious hatred.

A number of international human rights treaties and other laws have been passed Since 1945.

Since 1945, a number of international human rights treaties and other laws have been passed, adding to the body of international human rights law. They include, among others, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979), the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948), and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006).

The Human Rights Council

The 60-year-old UN Commission on Human Rights was replaced as the primary UN intergovernmental body in charge of human rights on March 15, 2006, when the General Assembly formed the Human Rights Council and gave it direct reporting responsibility. The Council, which is composed of 47 State members, has the responsibility of enhancing the promotion and protection of human rights globally by addressing instances of human rights breaches and providing recommendations on them, including reacting to human rights emergencies.

The Universal Periodic Review is the Human Rights Council's most novel feature. The 193 UN member states' human rights records are examined every four years as part of this special procedure. Under the direction of the Council, the Review is a cooperative, state-driven process that gives each state the chance to present the steps they have taken and obstacles they still need to overcome in order to better the human rights situation in their nation and uphold their international obligations. The purpose of the Review is to guarantee inclusivity and fairness for all nations.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The primary authority for UN human rights initiatives rests with the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The High Commissioner is tasked with both responding to grave human rights abuses and taking preventative measures.

The focal point for all UN human rights initiatives is the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). It serves as the secretariat for the UN's Human Rights Council, treaty bodies, and other human rights organisations. It also engages in practical human rights actions

The majority of the fundamental human rights treaties have oversight bodies tasked with monitoring how the ratifying nations are carrying out their obligations under the treaty. People who believe their rights have been violated can report directly to the committees in charge of monitoring human rights treaties.

The idea of human rights permeates all UN policies and programmes.

All UN programs and initiatives in the crucial fields of peace and security, development, humanitarian aid, and economic and social concerns all include human rights as a central element. As a result, almost all UN organizations and specialized agencies have some involvement in defending human rights. Examples include the right to development, which forms the basis of the Sustainable Development Goals, the right to food, which is promoted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the right to labor, which is outlined and upheld by the International Labour Organization, the right to gender equality, which is promoted by UN Women, and the rights of children, indigenous peoples, and people with disabilities.

The 10th of December is designated as Human Rights Day each year.