Defining human rights

• Human rights are rights that recognise the inherent vallue of each person, regardless of their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, status or background
• The list of features come from the Office of the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner for Human Rights
• Features of human rights [UIIENR]

  
  

  • Universal
  • Inalienable
  • Indivisible and independent
  • Equal
  • Non discriminatory
  • Rights and obligations
• First Generation - [Protects civil and political rights]

  • Right to life, freedom of speech, property rights and voting rights etc
  • Can be found in articles 1 - 21 of the UDHR (1948) and ICCPR (1966)
• Second generation rights - [Protects economic, social and cultural rights]

  • Can be found in Articles 22 - 30 of the UDHR (1948) and ICESCR (1966)
  • Economic - Right to work, right to adequete standard of living etc
  • Social - Right to health care, privacy, recreation etc
  • Cultural - Right to speak your own language, express your religion etc
• Third generation rights - [International in scope]

  • Can only be addressed by global cooperation
  • Such as peace rights, environmental rights/right to a healthy environement etc