Every day around the world, people face human rights violations. Whether from war and conflict, climate change, natural disasters or decisions made by their own governments, these violations can cost them their freedom, their health and their livelihood. Often, they may even lose their lives. These are the consequences of a system that is failing – a system we rely on to protect the most fundamental values and needs that we all share as humans.
Despite these challenges, the system of international human rights law continues to evolve. Today, most states are obligated to comply with the treaties and conventions of the United Nations that form the body of international human rights law. They are also obligated, under the UN Charter, to respect and uphold the human rights of all individuals within their borders. This is an important recognition that the protection of human rights is a responsibility shared by all members of the global community, not just individual countries.
The principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) were crafted over years of negotiation by a broad range of states from all regions of the world, taking into account their different political, economic and religious contexts. It was the first globally agreed document that marked everyone, everywhere as equal in terms of their fundamental rights. This principle is based on the idea that human rights are universal and inalienable – meaning that no one can voluntarily give them up or allow others to take them away from them.
This does not mean, however, that all states are equal in their approach to protecting human rights. In fact, there are many areas of disagreement – both over what is and is not a human right and over how those rights should be enforced. For example, slavery and female genital mutilation continue to be defended by some governments as cultural norms, even though they are widely condemned in the UN and other international forums.
In addition, there is still widespread debate over the use of force to uphold human rights and the extent to which States should be allowed to derogate from certain rights in particular circumstances. In general, the UN and other international bodies encourage States to implement human rights standards through domestic law, not by military intervention or threat of force.
Nevertheless, there is growing consensus that the protection of human rights is essential to resolving conflicts, preventing war and rebuilding afterward. This is why there are international organizations dedicated to promoting and monitoring human rights. Moreover, there is also a global movement of individuals and groups who work together to defend the values of the UDHR, whose efforts are being accelerated by the spread of the Internet and social media.
This is a crucial time to stand up for human rights and build on the successes of the past 70 years. To protect human rights, we need to understand the root causes of the problems and challenge those who violate them. That is why it is vital to invest in advocacy and education, including raising awareness of human rights standards.