Slavery, at least on paper, seems like a thing of the past. A series of outrages of a human being towards another human being. Now it seems to us an atrocity to think that one person is superior to another because of race, economic power, etc. Hence the importance of knowing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights | What are human rights and what are they?
We all assume that in humanity, we are all the same and that we have to respect each other. That my freedom ends where yours begins. But are we sure that we all think the same? In the 21st century, the rights of part of humanity are being curtailed with new forms of slavery, more in keeping with our time, but with the same victims of previous centuries.
The reason for this article Universal Declaration of Human Rights | What are human rights and what are they?is to know what this declaration contains, modifications that it has undergone throughout history and what fundamental principles it governs.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Background
A society that demonstrates and protests is a society that reacts to a situation of injustice. To understand what is Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Backgroundwe have to go back to the year 539 BC, when Cyrus the Great, the first King of ancient Persia, conquered the city of Babylon.
There he decreed laws as important as the liberation of the slaves, the right to choose their own religion and even advocated racial equality. All these laws or decrees were engraved on an adobe cylinder in the Akkadian language, Cyrus cylinder.
It can be considered at Cyrus cylinder as the first document in favor of human rights. For his part, the Pact of the Virtuousa pact agreed between different Arab tribes around the year 590 AD, is considered as perhaps the first alliance in defense of human rights.
Later, other declarations arising from civil wars would emerge, such as the English Bill of Rights of 1689. A century later, on August 26, 1789, France approved the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizenbasic text in the French Revolutionfor the definition of personal and universal rights, as well as to proclaim the equality of all citizens.
After the Second World War and with the creation of the United Nations Organization, in 1945was signed United Nations Charterwhich included a series of international actions in favor of people’s rights.
When the international community was terrified of the atrocities of this bloody war, it agreed not to allow them to be repeated in the future. Thus, it was agreed to draft a series of measures to be taken to guarantee the rights of people in any situation, time and place. The set of the Charter of the United Nations, added to this new action roadmap, formed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Principles and Characteristics
When we talk about Declaration of Human Rights | Principles and Characteristics we are referring to a series of elementary requirements that guarantee any person a decent life. All the human rights They have four characteristics: they are universal, priority, non-negotiable and inalienable. Let’s see what each of these aspects means.
- universal – This means that all people enjoy these rights without exception. That is, it does not matter your nationality, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, economic situation, political opinions, etc.
- priority – That is, if a fundamental right (for example, the right to life) is opposed to some other right (for example, that of private property), the first must be respected first.
- non-negotiable – This means that no country can refuse to defend the rights of its inhabitants.
- inalienable – It refers to the fact that these rights cannot be prohibited, removed or alienated, since they are characteristic of every human being.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Who Guarantees the Rights
Most of the statements that are made, usually remain in good intentions and do not usually materialize in concrete facts. For this reason,who guarantees the rights of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
The responsibility to fulfill and enforce human rights falls on what state. They will be in charge and responsible for protecting, respecting and guaranteeing compliance with human rights.
States will be responsible for promoting the necessary measures to guarantee these rights. and this is done through control mechanisms.
- Independent Judiciary
- National Human Rights Associations and Institutions that ensure the fulfillment of rights.
- Within the UN organization, there is a office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, also in charge of ensuring compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Non-profit organizationsassociations, etc., all as private initiatives.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights | The Three Generations of Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishes that these rights are subdivided into the so-called three generations of rightsas they emerged at different times in history.
First generation of rights: Freedom
The first generation includes the liberty Rights, among which we find:
- Right to life
- Legal security
- Freedom
- Physical integrity
- Freedom of religion and thought
- Right to think and express
- Freedom to choose residence
- Right to a nationality
- Freedom to move freely
- Right to participate in the government of the country
Second generation of rights: Equity
The second generation rights They are called of equity. Among those collected in this generation we find economic rights, social and cultural. The most important are:
- Twork
- Fair wage
- Health
- living place
- Education
- Retirement
Third generation of rights: Freedom
Lastly we have the solidarity rights Or the Third generation. They are the most recent and we can number them as:
- Self-determination of peoples
- Developing
- healthy environment
- right to peace
Other rights related to advances in technology are:
- respect for privacy in the face of advances in computer technology
- Care of life before the progress of biotechnology and genetics.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights | The Inalienable Rights
Beyond the three generations of rights explained above, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights collects a series of inalienable rights. These are rights that are attached to man by the mere fact of being. These fundamental rights include the right to Lifeto Freedomto Expressionto Justicestill Nameto Equality or to Free Transit.
It is clear that these rights have been betrayed many times throughout the history of mankind. Practices like slavery, the censorship and many others, have restricted (and restrict) the fundamental rights of individuals.
It is true that the lack of respect for fundamental rights occurs, above all, in cultural underdeveloped areas, economically and sociallywith few means or that are in a state of internal conflict or with other countries.
However, it is not only in conflict zones where these rights are violated on a daily basis. Also in the world developedIncreasingly, some rights such as freedom of expression, justice or equality seem to make less sense. It is clear that we are not all equal before the law, no matter how much the law says otherwise.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Compliance
The reality determines that compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights it is a chimera. Every day, we are assailed by news about human rights violations, in any part of the world. These rights violations vary in both their nature and severity, depending on the country or region where they are committed.
disappearances, executions, violations, torture or mistreatment, are the causes that most violate the declaration of rights. Human rights are less and less respected, especially in less developed regions such as Africa, where dictatorships isolate anyone who opposes, can be punished even with life.
This is a clear example of what is a violation of human rights and, unfortunately, broken too many times, where neither the right to life, nor the right to expression or thought, are respected.
Non-compliance with Human Rights: Child Soldiers
Children are often the biggest victims. non-compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On numerous occasions, as victims of abuse or violence, using them for war purposes, the sadly famous child soldiers.
Non-compliance with Human Rights: Sexually exploited minors
Children who are used for sexual merchandise, as in Thailand. Girls sexually exploited and exposed to suffering related diseases such as AIDS or any type of sexually transmitted infections, which cannot be treated either, because health is not guaranteed.
Non-compliance with Human Rights: Labor exploitation of minors
Children and elders exploited in factories, working 18-hour days for a simple piece of bread, in unfortunate conditions in terms of health. The subhuman working conditions, in which in many countries of the world they are forced to suffer, being only visible when a tragedy brings to light the conditions in which they were working.
Non-compliance with Human Rights: Gender violence
gender violence it is another pandemic in our society. Women mistreated, stoned and insulted in macho societies where, depending on the case, it is also well seen. honor killsfor the simple fact of not meeting family demands.
Women murdered at the hands of their partnersthat feeling of possession that is still felt in some cultures, in the 21st century and that affects countries all over the world.
The hope is that our society evolves and more and more voices are raised in favor of people who have no voice or have been silenced. We all have to be vigilant and denounce any alteration in the rights and freedoms of individuals to build a better, fairer and more equitable world, to guarantee rights that by the simple fact of being born we should have guaranteed.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Human Rights Defenders
Throughout history there have been great defenders of human rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rightswho have fought for peace, equality and for the rights of their people and of all peoples in general.
Many of these figures still survive in the collective memory, even many of them reached a tragic end that, yes, served to show the social injustices that were committed.
Key figures among human rights defenders are Mahatma…