Human Rights
The Basics of Human Rights
- Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled
● They must be universal, inalienable and indivisible; taking one away disrupts the
others
- Human rights are protected by international law, governments must ensure their domestic
legislation mirrors the international treaties that lay out rights
- Norms represent the ways of living that have been instilled into the culture of a country or
area over a long period of time
- It was these norms that formed the basis of the UDHR as they are the morals that underpin
accepted standards of human behaviour
- Intervention includes the use of military force by a state or group of states in order to end
gross violation of fundamental human rights
● Often referred to as humanitarian intervention
- Non-military intervention also occurs through NGOs and private initiatives (civil society)
- Intervention is a complex process that requires clear political sides and coordination at all
scales
- Intervention by the UN is authorised by the Security Council, but is rare due to civilian
deaths and injury although military presence without force is often sufficient
- UN sets a mandate so that workers and troops can be called upon from a wide range of
member states
● Can be considered controversial due to their largely Western centric mindset, so
intervention where religious extremist groups are involved can often reflect moral
differences
- Non-military intervention can be put in place by the UN in the from of economic sanctions
and international criminal prosecution
- The UN coordinates the input of many agencies including NATO, ICRC and Oxfam
- Geopolitics refers to the global balance of political power and international relations
- Political and economic power are closely linked especially when considering trade
, Human Rights
Forced Labour
- Forced labour is described by the ILO as work or service exacted from a person under
threat or penalty, which includes penal sanctions and the loss of rights and privileges,
where the person has not offered themselves voluntarily
- It is estimated that 21million people are victims of forced labour of which 11.4million are
female
- 19million of these are exploited by private individuals or enterprises and 2million by state or
rebel groups
- In the private economy, this generates $150billion in illegal profits every year
- Highest concentration of enslaved population in Central Africa and South Asia, linked to
general development and clear divide between East and West
● Highest rate in Mauritania
- Corruption and political unrest causes the breakdown of political regulation protecting
people from slavery
- Forced migration due to climate and natural disasters increases enslavement as people
become unregistered and vulnerable
Maternal Mortality Rates
- MMR is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy
from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management
The Basics of Human Rights
- Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled
● They must be universal, inalienable and indivisible; taking one away disrupts the
others
- Human rights are protected by international law, governments must ensure their domestic
legislation mirrors the international treaties that lay out rights
- Norms represent the ways of living that have been instilled into the culture of a country or
area over a long period of time
- It was these norms that formed the basis of the UDHR as they are the morals that underpin
accepted standards of human behaviour
- Intervention includes the use of military force by a state or group of states in order to end
gross violation of fundamental human rights
● Often referred to as humanitarian intervention
- Non-military intervention also occurs through NGOs and private initiatives (civil society)
- Intervention is a complex process that requires clear political sides and coordination at all
scales
- Intervention by the UN is authorised by the Security Council, but is rare due to civilian
deaths and injury although military presence without force is often sufficient
- UN sets a mandate so that workers and troops can be called upon from a wide range of
member states
● Can be considered controversial due to their largely Western centric mindset, so
intervention where religious extremist groups are involved can often reflect moral
differences
- Non-military intervention can be put in place by the UN in the from of economic sanctions
and international criminal prosecution
- The UN coordinates the input of many agencies including NATO, ICRC and Oxfam
- Geopolitics refers to the global balance of political power and international relations
- Political and economic power are closely linked especially when considering trade
, Human Rights
Forced Labour
- Forced labour is described by the ILO as work or service exacted from a person under
threat or penalty, which includes penal sanctions and the loss of rights and privileges,
where the person has not offered themselves voluntarily
- It is estimated that 21million people are victims of forced labour of which 11.4million are
female
- 19million of these are exploited by private individuals or enterprises and 2million by state or
rebel groups
- In the private economy, this generates $150billion in illegal profits every year
- Highest concentration of enslaved population in Central Africa and South Asia, linked to
general development and clear divide between East and West
● Highest rate in Mauritania
- Corruption and political unrest causes the breakdown of political regulation protecting
people from slavery
- Forced migration due to climate and natural disasters increases enslavement as people
become unregistered and vulnerable
Maternal Mortality Rates
- MMR is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy
from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management
