Human Rights Day 2019: Evolution and concept of Human Rights

Human Rights Day which is celebrated on December 10, was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948 to establish the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which proclaims the inalienable rights of all people. The concept of Human Rights and security is based on recognising that all individuals are equal in the eyes of laws and are subject to dignity and rights. The evolution of Human rights started from the time immemorial leading to most of the countries adopting the notion of rights to all. 

Evolution of Human Rights 

The concept of Human Rights has originated from different schools of thought which are based on different religions, philosophies and different law schools. The foundation of the concept of Human Rights was laid down by all religious traditions like Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, and Islam irrespective of their differences. All religions practice respect and dignity to all the humans that would result in fraternity, solidarity and the protection of all individuals. On the other hand, the diverse schools of Philosophy including Western thought lay emphasis on the notion of moral justice. 

The next stage of human rights revolves around the notion of individual rights, justice, individual liberty and the citizenship of the people under the protection of State. These advancements were part of the five-century transformation which comprises of the Renaissance, the Reformation and the formation of national states, entering into the Enlightenment, the independence of the United States of America and the French Revolution. The third stage involves the establishment of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 when the United Nations vowed to provide equality to all people.

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This task was accomplished by the Commission on Human Rights, whose main objective was to design a document that will clearly define the human rights and freedoms in the charter. Eleanor Roosevelt was commissioned to perform the task. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by 56 members. The Preamble of the United Nations asserts, “ [R]ecognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world.”. 

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This has been incorporated in the constitution of 185 countries. The declaration also achieved the status of customary international law because people regard it as the bases for establishing a common standard for all people and nations. After the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Human Rights Commission drafted two treaties, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and its Optional Protocol and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Together they are known as the International Bill of Human Rights. Their main objective is right to life, freedom of speech, voting, and religion which are subsets of a bigger spectrum of Human Rights. In addition to the treaties, there were 20 principle bills that were adopted by the UN which focus on protecting the individuals from torture and genocides. At the same time protect the minorities, women and the vulnerable populations (refugees). The various conventions are:

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide

The Convention on the Political Rights of Women

The Slavery Convention of 1926

The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading  Treatment or Punishment

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