An introduction to Human Rights

1
An introduction to Human Rights

• The Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project
• www.rightsreporting.net

2
Humanity will not enjoy security without
development it will not enjoy development
without security and it will not enjoy either
without respect for human rights.

• Kofi Annan
• Former UN Secretary General

3
A clear definition of human rights?

• Yes and No
• The development and interpretation of what are
  human rights (and how to protect them) is an
  evolving process

4
Yes Human Rights are existing laws, standards,
conventions and common practices

• No They are still evolving Some are
  aspirational not immediately realizable
  Others remain contested ideas

5
A Family of Human Rights

• Civil Political Human Rights (fundamental,
  natural, inherent, inalienable 1st generation
  human rights) Cannot be taken away i.e. right
  to life, liberty, justice, freedom of expression
  
• Economic, Social Cultural Rights (2nd
  generation human rights) Aspirational
• Group Rights (3rd generation) Environmental
  development rights). Some of these are contested
  i.e. self determination

6
Human Rights the Law

• Human Rights have evolved through customary,
  natural, and international humanitarian law

7
Human Rights Protection
Protection of the State has evolved into
protection of its People
8
Human Rights Security
Human rights were also born out of the need to
ensure peace and security between states.
9
Human Rights International Humanitarian Law

• Human rights were also born out of intl
  humanitarian law established largely by the
  founder of the International Red Cross in Geneva
  to govern the conduct of war.

10
But the Second World War laid bare the absolute
failure of the previous international order,
conventions on the conduct of war, as well as the
ability to protect minorities and nationalities.
It directly led to the creation of the United
Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.
11
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Adopted
by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948
is said to be the conscience of the world. It
is the most translated document in the world.
12
It is the global standard and covers the right
to life, liberty and security freedom from
torture the right to free movement as well as
the right to free expression (Article 19). It
makes clear that all individuals have a
birthright and are not simply subject to the
whims of the State
13
The Universal Declaration was followed by 2
legally binding Covenants

• International Covenant on Political and Civil
  Rights
• International Covenant on Economic, Social
  Cultural Rights).

14
Collectively, they form the basis of
international human rights protection and are
known as the International Bill of Rights
15
State obligations

• Immediate
• Progressive realization

• The Obligation to Respect
• The Obligation to Protect
• The Obligation to Fulfill

• Non-discrimination
• International Obligations

16
Human Rights Its the implementation stupid!
Declarations and legally-binding Covenants are
one thing but how are rights monitored and
properly guaranteed?
17
The UN Human Rights monitoring process is
currently built mostly upon annual reporting
(countries submit reports to the UN).The latest
Philippine Report to the UN was roundly praised
by the Philippine Government....
18
....and condemned as a whitewash by many NGO
groups.
19
All UN bodies are concerned with Human Rights
but the main ones are

• United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights
• Human Rights Council

20
The seven treaty monitoring bodies are

• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Human Rights Committee
• Committee against Torture
• Committee on the Elimination of Racial
  Discrimination
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
  against Women
• Committee on the Rights of the Child
• Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All
  Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families

21
Many people (including many within the UN),
are looking at ways of improving the monitoring
and implementation process. The work of NGOs is
already highly recognised and appreciated......

22
.....but many believe the media could and
should be doing a lot more to help particularly
those media in problem countries.
23
Reporting for Rights

• Where, after all, do universal human rights
  begin? In small places, close to home so close
  and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps
  of the world. Yet they are the world of the
  individual person the neighborhood he lives in
  the school or college he attends the factory,
  farm or office where he works.
• -- Eleanor Roosevelt

24
The Philippine Human Rights Reporting
Project www.rightsreporting.net