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Jan 15, 1215
MAGNA CARTA
The Magna Carta is influential because it gave inherent rights to the subjects that could not be violated by anyone, not even the Monarch. -
FRENCH REVOLUTION (1789-1799)
The Revolution is significant for Human Rights principally due to René Cassin, who was one of the drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, identifying the four pillars of the revolution ‘dignity, liberty, equality and brotherhood’ and using them as the foundation of the declaration (Ishay, 2008). -
DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND OF THE CITIZEN
The rights contained in this declaration are, among others, equal individual citizenship and collective sovereignty of the people regardless of their estate; they were the foundation of the new modern state (Ishay, 2008). This declaration was also important when its ideas were exported to the colonies, triggering the ideological revolution for freedom and sovereignty that developed into independence movements, principally in Latin America. -
FIRST WORLD WAR 1914-1918
First ‘Global War’ of the twentieth century, its main stage was Europe, in 1918 after its end, the need for an international organisation to secure peace was urgently needed. -
TREATY OF VERSAILLES
The importance of the treaty of Versailles is that was the first example of a ‘Peace Agreement’. The treaty of Versailles was the first time nations considered to charge on head of state contraventions against fundamental human rights (Evans and Newnham, 1998). -
LEAGUE OF NATIONS 1920-1946
Regarding Human Rights, it advocated for these rights to be protected by the allied nations, the rights the covenant of the League of Nations protected were, among others, humane working conditions, the prohibition of trafficking in women and children, the prevention and control of disease, and self-determination. The flexibility of the covenant proved inefficient for promoting peace (Evans and Newnham, 1998), and after the IIWW ended, the League of Nations was dissolved. -
SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945
The final solution, or the holocaust, killed systematically more than six million Jews. The desire of all humanity for something like this to never happen derived in the consolidation of the International Organisation structure to protect peace and promote human rights. -
FOUR FREEDOMS SPEECH
Franklin D. Roosevelt mentions that ‘In future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential freedoms’ (Ishay, 2008) these were:• Freedom of speech and expression• Freedom of every person to worship God in his own way• Freedom of want (economic understanding)• Freedom from fear anywhere in the world. -
BIRTH OF THE UNITED NATIONS-UN CHARTER
The United Nations Charter had three primary objectives: to maintain international peace and security through peaceful settlement of disputes and collective security, to promote international economic and social cooperation, to promote respect for human rights for all (Evans and Newnham, 1998). It was signed on the 26th of June 1945 and lead to the creation of the United Nations Organisation. The UN Charter adopted a broad view of human rights, going far beyond the view of the League of Nations -
CREATION OF THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
In 1946 a commission was created by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations that was of high relevance for human rights: The Commission on Human Rights, between 1946 and 2006, when the Human Rights Council replaced it, this commission was the epicentre of the UN system’s of human rights activity (Karns and Mingst, 2010). -
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Karns and Mingst mention that this document elucidated innovative principles: that people have these rights by virtue of being human; that they apply universally; that human rights include both political and civil rights and social and economic rights; and that advancement of these rights includes legislation, public discussion and social monitoring (Karns and Mingst, 2010). -
EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
The first regional human rights convention was adopted in 1956, and revised and ratified in 1996 by all the members of the Council of Europe (not to be confused with the European Union). The European system of human rights is regarded as the most efficient regionally speaking (Karns and Mingst, 2010) -
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Amnesty International pursues three broad policy goals: the release of all prisoners of conscience; and end to all forms of torture; and prompt and fair trials for political prisoners (Evans and Newnham, 1998). In 1977, the organisation was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Currently there are more than 325 human rights NGOs (Karns and Mingst, 2010). -
ICESCR AND ICCPR ARE CREATED
The ICESCR covers human rights in areas including education, food, housing, and healthcare, as well as the right to work and to just and favourable conditions to work. The ICCPR safeguards rights such as rights to life, liberty, fair trial, freedom, conscience, peaceful assembly, family and privacy, conscience, thought and freedom of movement (Clapham, 2007). Both the ICCPR and the ICESCR proclaim the right of self-determination. -
AMERICAN CONVENTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
The Organisation of American States adopted the ACHR on the 22nd of November 1969. The Convention highlights the political and civil rights, it is enforced by the Inter-American Commission and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Karns and Mingst, 2010). It its, perhaps, the busiest human rights mechanisms in the world, mainly because, it is in charge with all the violations of human rights committed by the dictatorships in Latin America during the 1970’s and 1980’s. -
CEDAW
The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women was the first gender specific treaty body adopter by the international community. This convention was designed to ensure women have equal access to political and public life as well as education, health and employment (Clapham, 2007). It entered into force in 1981, and, as of 2008 there are 185 states party to the convention (Karns and Mingst, 2010) -
AFRICAN CHARTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS
The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights was approved in 1981 and entered into force in 1986. It gives specific attention to collective rights compatible with African traditions, as well, the convention has many clauses that limit or qualify specific standards and rights (Karns and Mingst, 2010). -
CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE
The CAT includes a definition of torture, the non-refoulement clause, and seeks to ensure that acts of torture can be prosecuted in the courts (Clapham, 2007). -
CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF CHILD
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was opened for ratification in 1989, entered into force in 1990 and currently there are 193 states party to it (Karns and Mingst, 2010). It seeks to protect children from practices that particularly endanger their welfare, including economic exploitation, illicit use of drugs and all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse (Clapham, 2007). -
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
The HRC is composed of 46 of the UN state members for a three-year term. It meets at least ten weeks throughout the year and reports to General Assembly (The CHR reported to ECOSOC), the retained many of the responsibilities and mechanisms of the Commission, being its most important features the Special Procedures, the Special Rapporteurs (can be named to address a specific subject or a specific country) and the Universal Periodic Review (Karns and Mingst, 2010).
