Chapter 9: The Quest for Universal Human Rights

factors that show how globalization has helped in promoting human rights

- Advances in technology and gains in literacy and education allow more people know about human rights - Social media platforms have allowed people to organize even when governments try to limit free speech and assembly - Information technology has made it easier for communicate with their stakeholders and put greater pressure on governments to comply with human rights standards

Example of human rights NGOs

- Human Rights Watch - Amnesty International

Where second-generation rights require a proactive government to act on behalf of its citizens, third-generation rights require

- International cooperation - Solidarity

What role did Eleanor Roosevelt play after her husband, President Franklin Roosevelt, had died?

- She became a member of the committee charged with drafting the UDHR - She was invited to be part of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations

relativism or cultural relativism

- The final authority in determining the rights of a citizenry lies with the people and their government - Local traditions trump the rights in the UDHR

What is the role of a human rights rapporteur?

- To ensure justice and compensation for survivors of human rights abuses - To assess progress in discovering the truth about past atrocities committed in a country

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

- considered to be civil liberties - first generation of rights

Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

- stresses that states have the responsibility to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity - maintains that the international community has a responsibility to intervene in these situations when a state fails to do so

Triggers for establishing a universal human rights

- the horror of over 50 million dead in World War II - The terrible atrocities committed during WWII¸ such as the Holocaust

International Criminal Court (ICC)

- tries people accused of genocide, war, crimes, or crimes against humanity

How many countries voted against the UDHR in 1948?

0

How many countries abstained from voting on the UDHR in 1948?

8

What is the key difference between a declaration and a treaty?

A treaty is a legally binding instrument whereas a declaration is a statement of principles

First-generation rights are influenced by the philosophical tradition of _______________, whereas second-generation rights are influenced by the philosophical tradition of _______________:

Capitalism / socialism

Prior to the creation of the UDHR, what document first mentions human rights?

Preamble of the UN Charter

What is a human rights treaty body?

This is a committee of human rights experts that studies how well a country is living up to its human rights promises

how many generations, or categories is The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is typically divided into

Three(3)

What is the important balance to be drawn when it comes to online privacy issues?

To ensure that there are regulations to protect data privacy while not overreaching in a way that compromises legitimate state needs or stops speech and free expression

What is the universal/cultural diversity relationship?

Universality is not a weapon against cultural diversity, nor is cultural diversity a justification of human rights violations

Third Generation

aka solidarity rights, the responsibility to act is placed not just on one government but on all governments because to address these rights requires international cooperation

Which generation of human rights includes freedom of speech and assembly?

first generation

1948's Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

formed by the UN and the first time in human history that we recognized that all members of the human family are equal and possess the same rights

First-generation rights are also known as negative rights because

government actions are restricted by these rights

universalism

human rights are accorded to everyone regardless of citizenship or status

Natural Law

indicate a body of universal, eternal laws that human beings naturally followed

second generation rights

require that governments be proactive, these rights are also called positive rights because they require that governments act to make sure they are protected

What is sovereignty?

That countries are self-governing, have territorial integrity, and self-determination

While NGOs do not have official membership status at the United Nations, they do have important influence through their close cooperation with _______________

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

Which UN organ can authorize military intervention to enforce human rights?

The Security Council