Human rights are a set of principles concerned with equality and fairness. They are not a recent invention – ideas about people’s rights and responsibilities have been an important part of all societies throughout history. They are based on the belief that every person has fundamental worth and dignity.
There are international, regional and national legal instruments that are designed to enforce laws securing human rights. These include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was drafted by representatives from all regions of the world and that has been translated into more than 500 languages. The UDHR is a common standard that all countries are expected to protect.
Other legal instruments that make up the human rights framework are the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The ICCPR and ICESCR are legally binding international agreements. The UDHR, the ICCPR and ICESCR all make individual rights more legally secure than they would otherwise be.
The UDHR and other human rights instruments are based on the idea that people have certain basic rights, regardless of their place of birth or their social, cultural or religious background. These rights are described as being inherent to human dignity and are inalienable – meaning that they can never be taken away. They are also indivisible, interrelated and interdependent, as the realisation of one right may depend on the realisation of another.
About the Author
