Human rights

Human rights

1. Consolidated after the 18th century following the American and French revolutions

2. Defend human dignity and set limits on power

   • relies both on the recognition of the civil and political rights and on the recognition of the economic, social and cultural rights.

3. 3 generations

   • First generation: civil and political rights
     • Main international protection instruments legally binding on ratifying States
       • Inspired in the French Revolution
   • Second generation:economical, social and cultural rights
     • Require an interventionist State to protect and guarantee the rights
       • Inspired on socialists revolutions
   • Third generation: solidarity rights
     • Requires international cooperation for solving global problems
       • Inspired on anti-colonials revolutions

4. international human right treaties

   • ICERD 1965,ICCPR 1966,ICESCR 1966, CEDAW 1979, CAT 1984, CRC 1989, ICPRMW 1990, CRPD 2008
     • From this treaties the State acquires the relevant legal obligations.

5. The internationalization of human rights

   • became the United Nations’ principle objectives.
   • proclaims in its Preamble its “faith in fundamental human rights”.
   • have been completely politicised and influenced by external factors rather than concentrating on the defense of human dignity

6. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

   • The final vote at the General Assembly reveals where the main problems lay in passing the Universal Declaration.
   • humanity’s essential reference on the issue of human rights.

7. The 1966 International Human Rights Covenants

   • was an essential complement to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
   • important to pass fully legal human rights instruments which could bind the States ratifying them.

8. human rights challenges

   • To establish a broad and all-encompassing concept of human rights.
   • To achieve a truly universal concept of human rights.