Understanding Human Rights: Principles and Practice
Give and Take: Human Rights
The word “rights,” in the context of human rights, signifies the power to make claims or require others to behave in a certain way. Rights are guarantees, freedoms, and privileges that people possess. They may or may not be legally guaranteed but always aim to provide protection and security to all citizens. Every right carries with it a corresponding duty.
- Rights: Guarantees, freedoms, privileges, etc., that people have, aiming to provide protection and security.
- Duties: Rules, laws, or regulations governing our coexistence in society, which we are obliged to follow.
Fundamental rights, or human rights, are conditions inherent to every human being simply by virtue of their existence. Their implementation is essential for individual and societal development. Human rights belong to all individuals without exception or distinction.
Individual and Social Rights
- Individual Rights: Focus on fundamental human needs, historically centered on freedom.
- Social Rights: Revolve around equality and solidarity, encompassing rights like education, health, and access to information.
Give and Take
A declaration of rights is also, conversely, a statement of duties. Whatever is my right as an individual is also the right of another, and it is my duty to ensure its protection.
Defining Human Rights
Human rights are understood as moral demands of liberty, equality, and dignity that should be recognized both nationally and internationally.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes that human beings possess certain rights by the mere fact of their existence. These rights are recognized by an international body: the United Nations.
Development Process of Human Rights
The United Nations Organization (UNO) emerged from the San Francisco Conference on June 26, 1945. Its objectives include upholding the rights of the person, maintaining peace, ensuring the right of self-determination of peoples, and promoting cooperation among countries. On December 10, 1948, the UNO adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and declared December 10 as International Human Rights Day.
Characteristics of Human Rights
Human rights are:
- Universal: Valid for all persons, without any distinction based on race, sex, nationality, religion, language, or any other characteristic.
- Inalienable: Belong to individual people and cannot be assigned or transferred to others.
- Non-negotiable: All human rights are equally important. The violation of one or more rights cannot be justified to promote compliance with others.
Universality of Human Rights and Cultural Diversity
A key feature of the human rights enshrined in the Declaration is their universality. These rights belong to every person, regardless of any physical or cultural difference. However, humans live within diverse cultures, leading to varying interpretations and applications of these rights, stemming from different traditions and beliefs.
Our world comprises a multitude of coexisting cultures. However, because the Declaration primarily imposes a moral (rather than a strict legal) obligation to enforce these rights, their full implementation is not always realized, sometimes due to a lack of interest or conflicting priorities.