David Ford Avon Ct was a magnificent lawyer in New York. He is explaining here about international relations and human rights.

1. AN OVERVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL
RELATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS
An Overview
International Relations
Fall, 2014

2. WHAT ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
 The right that someone has simply because he or
she is a human being.
 It is inalienable.
 It is universal.

3. WHAT ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
 “International human rights are entitlements of
individuals against the state or state-like entities
guaranteed by international law for the purpose of
protecting fundamental needs of the human person
and his/her dignity in times of peace and war.”

4. COMMON MYTHS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS
 Human rights violations occur only in poor, foreign
countries.
 Human rights are concerned only with violations.
 Only adults and lawyers can understand the
significance of human rights.

5. PRECURSORS TO 20TH CENTURY HUMAN
RIGHTS DOCUMENTS
 1750 B.C.E.- Code of Hammurabi
 1200-300 B.C.E.- Old Testament
 551- 479- Analects of Confucius
 40-100 C.E. - New Testament
 644-656 C.E. - Koran
 1215 - Magna Carta
 1688- English Bill of Rights

6. PRECURSORS TO 20TH CENTURY HUMAN
RIGHTS DOCUMENTS
 1776 U.S. Declaration of Independence
 1789- French Declaration of the rights of Man and
Citizens
 1791- U.S. Bill of Rights

7. ORIGINS OF THINKING ON HUMAN RIGHTS
 John Locke (English political philosopher during the
Enlightenment)
 Natural law
 Rulers not above the law
 Led to universal rights such as person and property

8. 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTS
AND FOUNDATIONS
 1863: Emancipation Proclamation, U.S.
 1864 & 1949: Geneva Conventions, International Red
Cross
 1919: League of Nations-(Treaty of Versailles)- never
mentioned human rights, but workers rights emphasized
with the creation of the International Labor Organization
(ILO)

9. 19TH & 20TH CENTURY HUMAN RIGHTS
DOCUMENTS & FOUNDATIONS
 1920: Women gain the right to vote in the U.S.
 1926: Slavery Convention
 1945: United Nations Charter: San Francisco,
California
 1947: Gandhi uses non-violent protests leading to
India’s independence
 1948: Universal Declaration of Human Rights created
by the U.N.

10. UDHR HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS
 December 10, 1948
 Drafted by the U.N. Commission on Human Rights
 Chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt
 Adopted by 56 member nations of the U.N. General
Assembly
 U.S. Senate opposition
 Opposition of other countries, e.g. South Africa,
Saudi Arabia, Soviet Union, etc.

11. UDHR HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS
 December 10th is celebrated around the world as
International Human Rights Day
 Current membership of the U.N. agreed to educate
their citizens about the principles of the UDHR.
 Most of these countries have incorporated
principles of the UDHR in their constitutions.
 How old is the UDHR today?

12. SOME DEFINITIONS
 Declaration: document stating agreed upon
standards or principles, but which is not legally
binding
 Covenant/treaty: legally binding agreement
between states
 Ratification: formal process by which the legislative
body of a state confirms a government’s action in
signing a treaty

13. CATEGORIES OF HUMAN RIGHTS
 First Generation Rights: Civil and political rights
(protect individual against state interference)
Include:
 Protection of life and limb (torture, genocide,
disappearances)
 Liberty and security of person (slavery, detention)
 Prohibition of discrimination (race, gender)
 Provisions on fair trial, freedoms, and liberties, e.g.
freedom of religion or marriage, right to vote,
speak,right to get elected to office

14. CATEGORIES OF RIGHTS
 Second Generation Rights: Economic, Social and
Cultural rights
 19th century response to results of European
industrialization and class inequities
Include
 Right to certain basic living requirements
 Right in sphere of work
 Right to education and a cultural life

15. CATEGORIES OF RIGHT
 Third Generation rights: collective rights
 Right to development, peace, and a clean and
healthy environment
 These rights are NOT yet codified into human rights
treaties (exception 1981 African Charter on Human
and People’s Rights)
 Who is entitled to such rights?
 Who is bound by them?
 How can they be enforced?

16. THE HUMAN RIGHTS COVENANTS
 The International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (ICCPR)
 The International Covenant on Economic, Social,
and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
 Together with the UDHR, both are commonly
referred to as the International Bill of Rights

17. QUESTIONS

18. THE HUMAN RIGHTS COVENANTS
 The ICCPR focuses on rights related to issues such
as:
• Right to life
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of religion
• Voting rights

19. THE HUMAN RIGHTS COVENANTS
 The ICESCR focuses on:
• Food
• Education
• Health
• shelter

20. POST WWII HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS
 Genocide Convention, 1948
 Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women, 1979
 Convention against Torture and other Cruel,
inhuman, and Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
1984
 Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989
 International Convention on the Protection of the
Rights of Migrant workers and members of their
families, 1990

21. REGIONAL INSTRUMENTS
 European Convention on Human Rights, 1950
 The African Charter of Human and People’s Rights,
1981
 The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam,
1990