1.1: The Development of Human Rights: A Brief History
While many of the ideas central to today's human rights discourse have roots in the Enlightenment Era in Europe, the legal framework primarily used to discuss human rights only dates back to 1948, when the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many of the rights enumerated in that document and other human rights treaties have at various points in history only been enjoyed by specific groups of people, such as property-owning white men. They have gradually been expanded to include more people, and activists are still working today to ensure all can enjoy human rights.
This video gives an overview of the origins of international human rights law, including the Geneva Conventions and earlier liberal political documents, primarily in the Western world.
Read these two articles from the U.S. Department of State publication Human Rights in Brief. They review the historical development of human rights in the context of contemporary global politics.
This article provides an introduction to the conditions that gave rise to modern international human rights law in the aftermath of WWII.
Read these documents for an overview of the core human rights treaties. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights are considered the basis for the International Bill of Rights. The three documents are collectively referred to as the Bill of Human Rights and form the cornerstone of human rights law.
The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, shortly after World War II. The world had been shocked to discover the horrors of the Holocaust and Nazi abuses against Jewish people and other minority groups in Europe. In the years following the war, world leaders, activists, and legal experts established an International Bill of Rights.
As you read, consider the following questions: How do the rights listed here relate to the events of World War II? Which rights listed in the UDHR might still be controversial in some parts of the world? Have you encountered news stories that dealt with these rights? How are they still being debated today?
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was written around the same time as the UDHR. Read this article and think about how these rights relate to the UDHR. Do they go beyond the UDHR? How do they relate to your understanding of civil and political rights where you live? Can you think of examples where these rights have been clearly upheld or violated in recent news?
Read the Optional Protocol. Why do you think these measures are considered optional and less binding than the Covenant itself? Why do you think fewer countries have signed onto this protocol?
Read the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. These rights are sometimes seen as less well-established than those in the UDHR and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Consider why that might be, and the challenges States might face in implementing these rights.