Human rights

• Human rights


  • Universal, in theory
  • Argued to be a neo-colonial system that imposes western standards
  • Protected in international law
  • Only qualification is that one is human (like natural rights)
  • Protects us from abuse from government, ish
• State sovereignty


  Some rights are absolute vs qualified
• Human rights


  • Can't be held incommunicado
  • No torture
  • Right to life
  • Right to privacy
  • Right to family
  • Right to religion
  • Right to education
  • Free and fair election
• Violations of human rights

  • Can be prosecuted under international law (Nuremberg, International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone)
  • International Criminal Court
  • Can result in humanitarian intervention and R2P
• Contemporary examples of human rights violations

  • Slave trade in Libya
  • Roe v. Wade
  • Banning protest in the UK
  • Hijab ban in France
  • UK Asylum System - Rwanda flights
  • Rohingya
  • Uyghurs
  • Female education in Afghanistan
• Insulin is necessary for around 8 million US citizens
• The US does not have a free/state healthcare system which would likely provide Insulin for free/less than RRP
• Insulin analogs can cost more than $330 for a single vial, which can add up to over $1000 a month if there isn't the proper healthcare insurance involved
• Most people interviewed by HRW said that they ration their insulin
• Rationing insulin


  Undermines the right to: the highest attainable standard of health, affordable access to essential medicines, equal protection under the law and nondiscrimination, and adequate standard of living
• The government of the US does not currently place restrictions on charges for drugs such as Insulin, leading to heavy price inflation
• One vial of insulin costs between 2-10$ to make, it was sold in 1923 for 1$ for accessibility. Adjusting for inflation it is about a 1000% increase in price
• Many Americans do not have healthcare (it is generally provided with their jobs), so people who become unemployed can often find that they are suddenly without the funds to get insulin
• International law


  • Via treaties (signed)
  • Fundamental norms - Jus Cogens (laws you have to follow whether you like it or not, i.e. genocide, torture, slavery)
  • Based on principles of Bona Fide (good faith)
• Magna Carta


  1215
• Treaty of Westphalia


  1648
• Nuremberg Trials


  1945-1946
• Charter of the UN

  1945
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights


  1948
• Refugee Convention


  1951
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

  1966
• Discrimination against Women Convention

  1979
• UN Convention on Torture


  1984
• Children's Convention


  1989
• Indigenous People's Convention


  1989
• Convention on Migrant Workers


  1990
• Convention on Persons with Disabilities

  2006
• ⅓ of nations criminalise homosexual acts
• LGBTQ people can claim protection however due to sovereignty of states they can't really enforce it
• Development can help as it provides greater education
• UN High Commissioner on Human Rights 1993
• World conference on human rights - UN High Commissioner
• Promotes human rights and exposes human rights violations
• Treaty of Westphalia 


  The Westphalian Peace Treaty is widely regarded as the foundation of the modern international order (the so-called ‘Westphalian system’), characterised by the co-existence of sovereign states which do not acknowledge any superior power
• Francisco de Vitoria - Jus Gentium (international law)

  • He said you have to ‘civilise’ certain people, that some are savages who need to be reeducated
  • International law based on the concept of europeans wanting to save people from their own cultures 
• International Court of Justice

  Sits at the Hague
• International Court of Justice

  • Judicial branch of the UN
  • Established by the UN charter
  • Resolves disputes between UN Member States
  • Enforces the rule of law
• Art. 94 UNC says that all Member States should comply with a decision of the court in any case to which it is a party
• If a state fails to comply with a decision of the International Court of Justice

  It can be referred to the UNSC
• Success of the International Court of Justice

  • Creates a rules based approach via arbitration
  • Has moral authority