Human rights are a set of fundamental freedoms and entitlements that belong to every person on the planet. They include the right to live in peace and security, freedom from fear and violence, the right to a fair trial, the right to freedom of speech and the right to education. Human rights are universal and inalienable – they belong to every person and can never be taken away from them.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is the first global document to articulate these rights. It delineates 30 fundamental civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and freedoms, and it is the basis for all international human rights law. The horrors of World War II galvanised the world into action and led to the creation of this body of international law.
Countries agree to respect and protect each other’s human rights when they sign and ratify the major international treaties that form the core of international law on this subject. These are the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, its two Optional Protocols, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Aside from the UN treaties, there are also regional human rights bodies that work to uphold international standards in particular parts of the world. They are supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which is mandated to address human rights violations and to take preventive action.
Throughout history, many cultures and traditions have held the idea that people have inherent rights. The teachings of Confucius in China, for example, date back to 500 bce and emphasise the importance of compassion and treating others as you would wish to be treated.
Human rights also include responsibilities and duties, both individual and collective. For example, a person’s ability to enjoy their right to freedom of speech must not interfere with anyone else’s rights to privacy or equality. Similarly, it is the responsibility of governments to ensure that their laws and services provide people with an environment in which they can exercise their rights and fulfil their responsibilities.
However, there are times when governments, political parties and candidates, business and social interests and civil society actors use the language of human rights without a commitment to the principles that it calls for. This can be due to a lack of understanding of what human rights standards actually call for, or it may be a deliberate abuse of the concept. In addition, there are some who criticise the human rights record of other countries while failing to uphold human rights standards themselves, which is a double standard that can damage the credibility and effectiveness of the human rights framework as a whole.