Political Science 144
Chapter 24: Human Rights
International regime set of principles, rules, norms and decision-making procedures that
states and other international actors accept as authoritative in an issue-area
Definition: fundamental freedoms for all without distinctions as to race, language, sex or religion
Especially after ww2 we talk about Human Rights
- UN Charter 1945
- UN adopts universal declaration of human rights in 1948 created by Commission on
Human Rights succinct yet comprehensive list of internationally recognised human
rights (civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights)
- Specifies minimum conditions for life and dignity in contemporary world
Cant be enslaved tortured
Freedom of speech etc. , economic rights – social security, work, favourable conditions of work,
equal pay, right to rest and leisure, political rights 30 articles
- Various treaties
During 50’s and 60’s human rights kind of disappeared, especially in politics due to cold war,
political concerns more important
Problem: however, UN can’t interfere in matters within domestic state (dilemma: what if a
country violates human rights?)
Multilateral implementation
- Treaty bodies
- Universal periodic review (part of UN Human Rights Council) every 4 years all UN
members appear before other UN members and give report for each state (usually quite
soft reviews) publicly reviewed and they address questions from the committee
- Special procedures i.e. international isolation
- International criminal court
- Mobilising public scrutiny to remind states of their obligations
- Regional organisations
- How effective? only modest international insight
- Asia lacks any human rights organisation
- Most multilateral mechanisms aim to develop critical yet ultimately persuasive
conversations
- Multilateral actors lack the persuasive or coercive resources required to get dictators ‘out
of business’
- Most states can be ‘nudged’ to improve at least some of their human rights
- Strong multilateral procedures are a consequence, not a cause, of good human rights
practices
Bilateral human rights democracy (states interacting directly with other states)
1
Chapter 24: Human Rights
International regime set of principles, rules, norms and decision-making procedures that
states and other international actors accept as authoritative in an issue-area
Definition: fundamental freedoms for all without distinctions as to race, language, sex or religion
Especially after ww2 we talk about Human Rights
- UN Charter 1945
- UN adopts universal declaration of human rights in 1948 created by Commission on
Human Rights succinct yet comprehensive list of internationally recognised human
rights (civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights)
- Specifies minimum conditions for life and dignity in contemporary world
Cant be enslaved tortured
Freedom of speech etc. , economic rights – social security, work, favourable conditions of work,
equal pay, right to rest and leisure, political rights 30 articles
- Various treaties
During 50’s and 60’s human rights kind of disappeared, especially in politics due to cold war,
political concerns more important
Problem: however, UN can’t interfere in matters within domestic state (dilemma: what if a
country violates human rights?)
Multilateral implementation
- Treaty bodies
- Universal periodic review (part of UN Human Rights Council) every 4 years all UN
members appear before other UN members and give report for each state (usually quite
soft reviews) publicly reviewed and they address questions from the committee
- Special procedures i.e. international isolation
- International criminal court
- Mobilising public scrutiny to remind states of their obligations
- Regional organisations
- How effective? only modest international insight
- Asia lacks any human rights organisation
- Most multilateral mechanisms aim to develop critical yet ultimately persuasive
conversations
- Multilateral actors lack the persuasive or coercive resources required to get dictators ‘out
of business’
- Most states can be ‘nudged’ to improve at least some of their human rights
- Strong multilateral procedures are a consequence, not a cause, of good human rights
practices
Bilateral human rights democracy (states interacting directly with other states)
1
