Explore the World of Human Rights
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you'll be able to:
- Explain the principles underlying human rights.
- Identify States’ obligations regarding human rights.
- Clarify how human rights are relevant for businesses.
Renewing International Commitment to the UDHR
We’ve learned that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) enshrined a global vision of human rights. But did you know there was another critical moment in history that helped to renew and build upon the UDHR’s foundation? At the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights, the international community came together to reaffirm their commitment to the UDHR and take new steps toward its realization. Let’s learn more about this significant event.
At the Conference — the largest gathering on human rights ever held — 171 governments and 800 non-governmental organizations met in Vienna, Austria. After a long process of review, the “Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action” was adopted unanimously as a collective plan for strengthening human rights work around the world. Among other initiatives, the document called for the establishment of the post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. This pivotal role works to ensure universal enjoyment of all human rights by removing obstacles to implementation, and enhancing coordination and cooperation of human rights-related activities throughout the United Nations (UN) system.
The Vienna Declaration reaffirmed that human rights are “indivisible and interdependent and interrelated” and apply universally, encouraging international cooperation and promoting practical measures on the national level. These tenets, along with equality and non-discrimination, make up some basic principles underlying human rights.
Let’s take a moment to learn about each principle.
Principles Underlying Human Rights
- Universal and Inalienable: Human rights belong to all human beings and can only be limited in specific situations and according to due process. For example, one's right to liberty may be restricted if found guilty of a crime following due process by a court of law.
- Indivisible and Interdependent: Human rights are interdependent — progress in some rights makes it easier to exercise other rights. For example, if people do not have access to education, it may be difficult for them to effectively exercise their right to vote or to participate in political life.
- Equal and Nondiscriminating: Human rights protect all individuals equally without distinction, ensuring equality and non-discrimination are basic principles of international human rights law.
These core principles, set out in the UDHR, help ensure that all human beings enjoy human rights. Now, let’s take a look at States’ obligations regarding human rights.
Respect, Protect, Fulfill
By becoming members of the UN and by signing international human rights agreements, States assume obligations and duties under international law to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights (and the principles underlying them). To meet their human rights obligations, States must:
- Respect human rights by refraining from interfering with or curtailing human rights enjoyment.
- Protect human rights by protecting individuals and groups against human rights abuses.
- Fulfill human rights by taking positive action to facilitate the enjoyment of fundamental human rights.
Let’s take a moment to examine what this looks like in practice by considering how States respect, protect, and fulfill an individual's right to health.
- Respect: States should refrain from denying or limiting equal access for all persons to health services, including sexual and reproductive health services.
- Protect: States should adopt legislation or other measures to ensure that the private sector conforms to human rights standards when providing healthcare or other services, such as regulating the composition of food products.
- Fulfill: States must adopt a national health policy or a national health plan covering the public and private sectors and ensure healthcare provisions, including immunization programs against infectious diseases.
Now that we know about the human rights obligations at the State level, let’s look at the business community’s responsibilities in upholding fundamental human rights.
The Business Community’s Responsibility to Respect Human Rights
In 2011, following years of consultations with States, companies, and civil society, the UN endorsed standards of responsibility for companies, known as the UN Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights. In sum, the UNGPs outline how companies must:
- Act with due diligence to avoid infringement on human rights.
- Address adverse impacts on human rights.
- Provide effective access to remedy for victims when companies cause, contribute, or are linked with human rights violations.
Respect for Human Rights Builds Trust
When businesses prioritize and respect human rights, they demonstrate their commitment to doing what's best for the greater good. This builds trust and demonstrates to individual customers and the broader community that they can count on that business to do what's fair and just for all. This is especially true in times of crisis. Accordingly, when people trust businesses, they are more likely to participate in company programs or campaigns, purchase and promote products or services, and more. This support helps businesses be more productive, efficient, and successful while supporting human rights — a cycle of positive reinforcement and a win-win for all.
To learn more about how businesses can help support and accelerate the realization of human rights and global development, check out the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) module on Trailhead (follow the link in the Resources section below).
Human Rights and the Individual
We’ve covered States’ obligations and businesses’ responsibilities to uphold and respect human rights, but what can you do as an individual? As individuals, we’re both entitled to our human rights and should respect and stand up for others’ human rights. This means that while the UDHR spells out our basic rights, such as the right to education, privacy, and leisure and rest, we should also serve as human rights champions for others. How can we do this? Let’s explore how human rights champions, also known as human rights defenders, work worldwide, every day, to ensure the protection of human rights.
Human Rights Defenders
The UDHR addresses a range of rights and personal freedoms that each of us can enjoy. But sometimes, States and groups infringe upon these rights. This is when human rights defenders step up, giving voice to injustice. Who are these human rights defenders? They may be elected officials, corporate leaders, academics, activists, or citizens like you! These champions leverage the foundation provided by the UDHR to fight for human rights and demand change. By defending one’s right to education, the right to life, the right to a clean environment, and the right to equality and non-discrimination, among many others, human rights defenders keep the UDHR’s relevance alive and well in our modern society.
For more on how you can be a human rights champion, check out the UN Human Rights "Stand Up for Human Rights" website (see the link in the Resources section).
Next, we’ll look at the national and international systems that have evolved to protect human rights and how it all adds up in practice.