After the horrors of World War II, leaders came together to create a system that would protect every single human being’s basic rights. This system, known as international human rights law, is built around 30 rights and freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948. These rights belong to everyone and can’t be taken away. But seven decades later, many governments are failing to uphold these essential standards. They’re silencing dissent, plundering the environment and monopolising wealth and power. They’re also violating the very people they claim to serve.
The idea that human beings have fundamental rights dates back thousands of years. In ancient Greece and Rome, philosophers and other thinkers like Sophocles developed the concept by arguing that human conduct should be dictated by what’s ‘naturally’ right, or what’s fair. The underlying belief was that the human will is an important part of our dignity, and to force someone against their will demeans their humanity.
From these principles, a series of conventions and treaties was drawn up that established core human rights. In particular, the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights formed the basis for modern human rights laws. The UN has a number of intergovernmental bodies and interdepartmental committees that examine a variety of issues relating to human rights, including questions pertaining to the advancement of women, children and indigenous groups, the treatment of refugees, racial discrimination and more.
In fact, a lot of these bodies’ work is done at the regional level, with countries signing up to and ratifying human rights treaties to bind themselves to global standards of behaviour. However, most countries have not fully implemented these treaties into their national laws, and many of the world’s poorest states are still failing to live up to the promises they made in ratifying the core human rights conventions.
All human rights are intrinsically connected, and cannot be viewed in isolation from one another. They’re also interdependent, which means that the enjoyment of some human rights is dependent on the enjoyment of other rights. For example, the right to liberty is linked to the right to health and security. That’s why it’s so important to stand up for the rights of everyone – especially the most vulnerable, who need our voices the most. You can get involved by signing up to Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign this December, a global letter-writing event that’s helping raise awareness and call on governments to protect all our rights. You can find out more here.