HUMAN RIGHTS:
1.1 Global variation in Human Rights Norms:
Human Rights:
- Are the basic rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled.
- They are applicable at all times, in all places and they protect everyone equally without
discrimination and regardless of nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic
origin, colour, religion, language or any other status.
- Human rights are considered universal
The Human Rights Act:
- Established at the UN General Assembly on 10 th December 1948.
- There are 30 human rights according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) including the right to live, freedom of religion, we are all born free and equal.
Human Rights Council:
- is an inter-governing body within the UN which is made up of 47 states who promote
and protect Human Rights around the globe.
History: Magna Carta (1215AD):
- John was the first King to agree to human rights. Europe was central of human rights
talk, Ghandi suggested human rights should apply all over the world.
Violations of Human Rights occur all over the globe in both ACs and LIDCs:
- Globalisation has both positive and negative consequences; it has enhanced the ability
of civil society (NGOs working individually or collectively in support of citizens and
communities throughout the world) to work across borders and promote human rights
in news territories
- BUT has also enabled terrorist organisations to gain power and perpetrate violations.
Geographical patterns of socio-economic inequality are closely associated with
inequalities in respect to human rights.
E.g. 16,000 children die of starvation everyday, over 1 billion adults cannot read, there
are twice as many slaved now than there were in the 1800s etc.
Human Rights Norms:
- Represent ways of living that have been inculcated into the culture of a country or area
over long periods of time. Are the foundation of human rights.
- Norms are based on moral principles universally accepted as human behaviour.
,Laws:
- Human rights are protected by international law.
- When governments sign international treaties, it is the state’s duty to respect, protect
and fulfil international human rights;
- countries have to practice domestic measures and legislation which are compatible
with the specific treaty.
- The most widely ratified of all international human rights is the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which was designed to change the way children are seen
and treated. The rights embedded explain a child’s needs to survive, grow and achieve
full potential
- However, there is significant differences in global variations of infant mortality rates
(IMR; the annual number of deaths of infants under the age of 1 per 1,000), e.g in 2013,
Mali = 106.5 whilst in UK = 4.5. Most infant deaths could be prevented, and so if a
government isn’t doing enough to prevent these deaths it is seen as a human rights
concern.
Declaration: Agreements which are often accepted by are not legally binding.
Convention: An agreement between different states where the law outcome is legally
binding and part of international law.
Signing a Treaty: Signing shows an intent by a state to comply with the agreement.
Ratifying a Treaty: When a state consents to be legally bound to that treaty and creates
legislation to enforce these laws.
INTERVENTION:
→ The action or process of intervening a situation. This includes the use of military force in
a foreign territory to end violations of human rights.
→ Intervention in pursuit of humanitarian objectives is often referred to as humanitarian
intervention.
Military Force:
- The UN Security Council is the only body that can legally authorise the use of force
however the use of military intervention is very controversial.
- The Council compromise of: 5 permanent members (China, France, Russia, UK and
USA) and 10 non-permanent members who serve for 2 years (in 2018-19, Bolivia, Ivory
Coast, Equatorial, Guinea, Ethiopia, Poland, Sweden, Netherlands, Kuwait and
Kazakhastan).
, - 60 other non-member countries can join the discussion but cannot vote. Can have
immediate positive impacts and can contribute to longer-term socio-economic
development and political stability. But can have unnecessary negative consequences,
deaths of civilians, loss of homes and population rights abuse.
- Halts human rights violations and injustices
- Impossible not to get civilians involved in fighting
UN Peacekeeping:
- Passive approach aimed to calm situation.
- If a mandate (signed permission to enter) is created the UN will rally its forces.
- Key workers aim to bring peace empower those at risk as well as advising Governments,
especially when they are weak.
Political Intervention:
- Often used when human rights violations are more complex, as an agreement to act is
more difficult.
- They are often in the form of economic sanctions which can be against countries,
groups or individuals and are designed to coerce them into changing their stance on (in
this case) human rights violations and/or regime change.
Global Governance:
- Intervention by the global community, attempting to regulate issues such as human
rights.
- Global governance of human rights is complex and multi-faceted; it can revolve around
direct physical intervention as well as the application of a growing number of human
rights norms, laws and treaties or conventions, plus the work of civil society.
- Effective intervention depends on their interaction and co-ordination at different scales
GEOPOLITICS:
→Refers to ways in which geographical factors were central in shaping international
politics.
- INTERLINKED WITH ECONOMIC POWER = in terms of the relative wealth and
international trade strength of nations and groups of nations.
- Historically there have been a number of ‘geopolitical transitions’ in which power has
shifted. The most recent has been the ending of the cold war; 1946-1989 in which the
USA and the USSR were the two dominant superpowers.
1.1 Global variation in Human Rights Norms:
Human Rights:
- Are the basic rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled.
- They are applicable at all times, in all places and they protect everyone equally without
discrimination and regardless of nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic
origin, colour, religion, language or any other status.
- Human rights are considered universal
The Human Rights Act:
- Established at the UN General Assembly on 10 th December 1948.
- There are 30 human rights according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) including the right to live, freedom of religion, we are all born free and equal.
Human Rights Council:
- is an inter-governing body within the UN which is made up of 47 states who promote
and protect Human Rights around the globe.
History: Magna Carta (1215AD):
- John was the first King to agree to human rights. Europe was central of human rights
talk, Ghandi suggested human rights should apply all over the world.
Violations of Human Rights occur all over the globe in both ACs and LIDCs:
- Globalisation has both positive and negative consequences; it has enhanced the ability
of civil society (NGOs working individually or collectively in support of citizens and
communities throughout the world) to work across borders and promote human rights
in news territories
- BUT has also enabled terrorist organisations to gain power and perpetrate violations.
Geographical patterns of socio-economic inequality are closely associated with
inequalities in respect to human rights.
E.g. 16,000 children die of starvation everyday, over 1 billion adults cannot read, there
are twice as many slaved now than there were in the 1800s etc.
Human Rights Norms:
- Represent ways of living that have been inculcated into the culture of a country or area
over long periods of time. Are the foundation of human rights.
- Norms are based on moral principles universally accepted as human behaviour.
,Laws:
- Human rights are protected by international law.
- When governments sign international treaties, it is the state’s duty to respect, protect
and fulfil international human rights;
- countries have to practice domestic measures and legislation which are compatible
with the specific treaty.
- The most widely ratified of all international human rights is the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which was designed to change the way children are seen
and treated. The rights embedded explain a child’s needs to survive, grow and achieve
full potential
- However, there is significant differences in global variations of infant mortality rates
(IMR; the annual number of deaths of infants under the age of 1 per 1,000), e.g in 2013,
Mali = 106.5 whilst in UK = 4.5. Most infant deaths could be prevented, and so if a
government isn’t doing enough to prevent these deaths it is seen as a human rights
concern.
Declaration: Agreements which are often accepted by are not legally binding.
Convention: An agreement between different states where the law outcome is legally
binding and part of international law.
Signing a Treaty: Signing shows an intent by a state to comply with the agreement.
Ratifying a Treaty: When a state consents to be legally bound to that treaty and creates
legislation to enforce these laws.
INTERVENTION:
→ The action or process of intervening a situation. This includes the use of military force in
a foreign territory to end violations of human rights.
→ Intervention in pursuit of humanitarian objectives is often referred to as humanitarian
intervention.
Military Force:
- The UN Security Council is the only body that can legally authorise the use of force
however the use of military intervention is very controversial.
- The Council compromise of: 5 permanent members (China, France, Russia, UK and
USA) and 10 non-permanent members who serve for 2 years (in 2018-19, Bolivia, Ivory
Coast, Equatorial, Guinea, Ethiopia, Poland, Sweden, Netherlands, Kuwait and
Kazakhastan).
, - 60 other non-member countries can join the discussion but cannot vote. Can have
immediate positive impacts and can contribute to longer-term socio-economic
development and political stability. But can have unnecessary negative consequences,
deaths of civilians, loss of homes and population rights abuse.
- Halts human rights violations and injustices
- Impossible not to get civilians involved in fighting
UN Peacekeeping:
- Passive approach aimed to calm situation.
- If a mandate (signed permission to enter) is created the UN will rally its forces.
- Key workers aim to bring peace empower those at risk as well as advising Governments,
especially when they are weak.
Political Intervention:
- Often used when human rights violations are more complex, as an agreement to act is
more difficult.
- They are often in the form of economic sanctions which can be against countries,
groups or individuals and are designed to coerce them into changing their stance on (in
this case) human rights violations and/or regime change.
Global Governance:
- Intervention by the global community, attempting to regulate issues such as human
rights.
- Global governance of human rights is complex and multi-faceted; it can revolve around
direct physical intervention as well as the application of a growing number of human
rights norms, laws and treaties or conventions, plus the work of civil society.
- Effective intervention depends on their interaction and co-ordination at different scales
GEOPOLITICS:
→Refers to ways in which geographical factors were central in shaping international
politics.
- INTERLINKED WITH ECONOMIC POWER = in terms of the relative wealth and
international trade strength of nations and groups of nations.
- Historically there have been a number of ‘geopolitical transitions’ in which power has
shifted. The most recent has been the ending of the cold war; 1946-1989 in which the
USA and the USSR were the two dominant superpowers.
