LCP4807 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 2 2026 - DUE 31
August 2026
SECTION A: FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS
Question 1
What is International Human Rights Law (IHRL)?
Answer: IHRL is the body of international rules and norms, established through treaties,
customary international law, and soft law instruments, that aim to protect individuals
and groups from violations of fundamental human dignity by states and, in some cases,
non-state actors .
Rationale: IHRL creates binding obligations on states to respect, protect, and fulfill
human rights. It is universal, inalienable, and interdependent in nature.
Question 2
What is the cornerstone instrument of IHRL?
Answer: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of 1948 .
,Rationale: Although not legally binding itself, the UDHR has inspired binding treaties
such as the ICCPR and ICESCR and has influenced the development of customary
international law.
Question 3
When was the UDHR adopted?
Answer: 10 December 1948 .
Rationale: The UDHR was adopted by the UN General Assembly as a resolution,
marking the beginning of the modern international human rights movement.
Question 4
Distinguish IHRL from International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
Answer: IHRL applies at all times (peace and war) and protects all individuals under
state jurisdiction, while IHL applies only during armed conflict and protects combatants,
civilians, and others affected by conflict .
Rationale: IHL governs the conduct of parties during armed conflict to limit its effects,
whereas IHRL provides broader protections for individuals in all circumstances.
Question 5
,What is the International Bill of Human Rights?
Answer: The International Bill of Human Rights consists of the UDHR, the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the Optional Protocols to the ICCPR .
Rationale: These instruments together form the foundation of the international human
rights framework.
Question 6
When did the ICCPR and ICESCR enter into force?
Answer: Both the ICCPR and ICESCR entered into force in 1976 .
Rationale: After receiving the requisite number of ratifications, both covenants became
legally binding on state parties.
Question 7
What rights are protected under the ICCPR?
Answer: The ICCPR protects civil and political rights including the right to life,
prohibition of torture and slavery, right to liberty and security, fair trial rights, right to
privacy, freedom of thought/conscience/religion, freedom of expression, freedom of
assembly and association, political rights, and minority rights .
Rationale: The ICCPR focuses on first-generation rights that are typically justiciable and
require state abstention from interference.
, Question 8
What rights are protected under the ICESCR?
Answer: The ICESCR protects economic, social, and cultural rights including the right to
work, just conditions of work, social security, family rights, adequate standard of living
(food, clothing, housing), health, education, and participation in cultural life .
Rationale: The ICESCR focuses on second-generation rights that require positive state
action and resources for implementation.
Question 9
What is the significance of the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR?
Answer: Adopted in 2008, it provides an additional mechanism for individuals and
groups to seek redress for violations of their economic, social, and cultural rights .
Rationale: The Optional Protocol established a complaints mechanism for ESCR
violations, filling a gap in the UN human rights treaty system.
Question 10
What are the three 'generations' of human rights?
ANSWERS) Semester 2 2026 - DUE 31
August 2026
SECTION A: FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS
Question 1
What is International Human Rights Law (IHRL)?
Answer: IHRL is the body of international rules and norms, established through treaties,
customary international law, and soft law instruments, that aim to protect individuals
and groups from violations of fundamental human dignity by states and, in some cases,
non-state actors .
Rationale: IHRL creates binding obligations on states to respect, protect, and fulfill
human rights. It is universal, inalienable, and interdependent in nature.
Question 2
What is the cornerstone instrument of IHRL?
Answer: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of 1948 .
,Rationale: Although not legally binding itself, the UDHR has inspired binding treaties
such as the ICCPR and ICESCR and has influenced the development of customary
international law.
Question 3
When was the UDHR adopted?
Answer: 10 December 1948 .
Rationale: The UDHR was adopted by the UN General Assembly as a resolution,
marking the beginning of the modern international human rights movement.
Question 4
Distinguish IHRL from International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
Answer: IHRL applies at all times (peace and war) and protects all individuals under
state jurisdiction, while IHL applies only during armed conflict and protects combatants,
civilians, and others affected by conflict .
Rationale: IHL governs the conduct of parties during armed conflict to limit its effects,
whereas IHRL provides broader protections for individuals in all circumstances.
Question 5
,What is the International Bill of Human Rights?
Answer: The International Bill of Human Rights consists of the UDHR, the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the Optional Protocols to the ICCPR .
Rationale: These instruments together form the foundation of the international human
rights framework.
Question 6
When did the ICCPR and ICESCR enter into force?
Answer: Both the ICCPR and ICESCR entered into force in 1976 .
Rationale: After receiving the requisite number of ratifications, both covenants became
legally binding on state parties.
Question 7
What rights are protected under the ICCPR?
Answer: The ICCPR protects civil and political rights including the right to life,
prohibition of torture and slavery, right to liberty and security, fair trial rights, right to
privacy, freedom of thought/conscience/religion, freedom of expression, freedom of
assembly and association, political rights, and minority rights .
Rationale: The ICCPR focuses on first-generation rights that are typically justiciable and
require state abstention from interference.
, Question 8
What rights are protected under the ICESCR?
Answer: The ICESCR protects economic, social, and cultural rights including the right to
work, just conditions of work, social security, family rights, adequate standard of living
(food, clothing, housing), health, education, and participation in cultural life .
Rationale: The ICESCR focuses on second-generation rights that require positive state
action and resources for implementation.
Question 9
What is the significance of the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR?
Answer: Adopted in 2008, it provides an additional mechanism for individuals and
groups to seek redress for violations of their economic, social, and cultural rights .
Rationale: The Optional Protocol established a complaints mechanism for ESCR
violations, filling a gap in the UN human rights treaty system.
Question 10
What are the three 'generations' of human rights?
