The term human rights is used to describe certain basic standards that must be met by all members of a society and which are enforceable in law. These standards include the right to freedom and security of person, the right to a fair trial, the right to property and the right to privacy. There are several ways in which these rights can be protected and one way is through the enactment of laws at the national and international level. Many people, however, have looked for a way in which human rights could exist independently of legal enactment. One way is by arguing that human rights are innate or inherent in all humans. Another way is to argue that human rights are god-given. Both of these arguments may have some metaphysical legitimacy but in a world where billions of people do not believe in any god or the kind of god that prescribes rights they are not practical.
In the 17th and 18th centuries the idea that all humans have natural rights developed. These rights were based on the theory that all people are born free and equal in dignity and therefore have a right to their own liberty, property and life. This concept became more widely accepted and was incorporated into constitutions in some countries. The emergence of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 brought human rights onto the global stage.
Although there are many ways in which human rights can be protected it is the enactment of laws at the domestic and international levels that has provided the most effective way of guaranteeing that these standards will be met. At the domestic level many governments have passed legislation stating that all citizens have certain rights and this has been reinforced at the international level by international treaties.
These treaties and conventions are designed to protect the individual against the abuse of power by governments. The UDHR is the most comprehensive of these international instruments and sets out thirty rights that all humans are entitled to. This document is a fundamental framework for global development and peace.
There are also special bodies in place which deal with specific issues. These bodies are independent of the Council and consist of experts who have been elected to serve on a country or thematic basis for 3-year terms.
In some cases the UN investigates alleged violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by conducting country-specific or thematic investigations. Those that are serious enough are referred to the Human Rights Council and may result in a request for the UN to send a mission to observe or investigate the matter. These missions typically involve a group of UN officials who travel to a country to look at alleged violations and report back to the Council on their findings. This is done under the auspices of the Office of the High Commissioner. This is part of the human rights system within the United Nations and provides a vital mechanism for responding to serious abuses of human rights.