The Universality of Human Rights

Bertrand Ramcharan (Guyana), previously Professor of International Human Rights Law at the Geneva Graduate Institute, performed the functions of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Theodoor van Boven (The Netherlands), previously headed the UN Human Rights Secretariat, was Professor of International Human Rights Law at Maastricht University, and was UN Special Rapporteur against Torture. Judge Abdul Koroma (Sierra Leone), has been Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, Chairman of the Legal Committee of the UN General Assembly, Member of the International Law Commission, and two-term Judge at the International Court of Justice. Inès French (Switzerland) is an international Human Rights lawyer who has done extensive human rights work in Africa and Europe, has been legal advisor to various human rights NGOs, and has published on international human rights law, including national human rights protection systems.

Dedication


Preface


Notes on Editors


Introduction: Expanding Circles of Human Rights and Their Protection


Part 1

Philosophical and Religious Perspectives

 Introduction: the United Nations Philosophy of Human Rights


 Documents

 1. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)


 2. Seeking the Origins of Human Generosity


 3. Seeing All Beings in the Self and the Self in All Beings


 4. The Ten Commandments


 5. The Sermon on the Mount


 6. The Precept of Ren


 7. Declaration of Sentiments. First Women’s Rights Convention, 1848


 8. Good Human Qualities


 9. O Mankind


 10. Love; Righteousness, Freedom


 11. The Icelandic Sagas: “Man Delights in Man”


 12. The Human Rights Idea in the Philosophy of the Enlightenment, with Particular Reference to the Scottish Enlightenment


 13. The Human Rights Philosophy of Nelson Mandela


 14. Ubuntu


 15. An Akan Perspective


 16. Asian Perspectives on Human Rights


 17. General Comment No.3, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (2015)


 18. Jose Diokono Affirms the Universality of Human Rights


 19. Judaism and Human Rights


 20. Islam and Human Rights


 21. The Holy Quran


 22. Indigenous Philosophies


 23. Indigenous Peoples and The Idea of Individual Human Rights


 24. A Custodial Ethic : An Aboriginal Way of Wholeness and Reciprocity


 25. The World Council of Churches and the UN Human Rights Project




Part 2

Historical Perspectives

 Introduction: the Universality of Human Rights


 Documents

 1. Charter of Cyrus 539 bce


 2. Magna Carta 1215


 3. English Bill of Rights, 1689


 4. American Declaration of Independence, 1776


 5. French Declaration of the Rights of Man, 1789


 6. Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia (November 1917)


 7. Mexican Constitution of 1917, Chapter i, Individual Guarantees


 8. Indian National Congress Resolution on Fundamental Rights and Economic Policy, 1931


 9. American Declaration of Human Rights and Duties of Man, 1948


 10. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948


 11. The Freedom Charter of the African National Congress, 1955


 12. The Bandung Declaration


 13. Beirut Declaration on Faith for Rights




Part 3

Legal and Judicial Perspectives

 Introduction: Obligations under the UN Charter to Uphold Human Rights


 Documents

 1. Code of Hammurabi


 2. Code of Manu


 3. General Comment 31 of the Human Rights Committee


 4. Views of the Human Rights Committee in the Case of İsmet Özçelik, Turgay Karaman and i.a. v. Turkey


 5. Views of the Human Rights Committee in the Case of Ioane Teitota v. New Zealand


 6. Views of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the Velasquez Rodriguez Case


 7. Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the Case of Vučković and Others v. Serbia


 8. Decision of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights in the Endorois Case


 9.  Resolution General Assembly on Situation of Human Rights of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar




Part 4

Universal Values

 Introduction: the Idea of Justice


 Documents

 1. UN Millennium Declaration


 2. Pope Benedict xvi’s Address to the U.N. General Assembly


 3. International Convention on the Rights of the Child


 4. European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms


 5. American Convention on Human Rights


 6. African Charter on Human and People’s Rights


 7. Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam


 8. The Helsinki Final Act, 1975


 9. asean Human Rights Declaration




Part 5

Human Dignity

 Introduction


 Documents

 1. UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training


 2. Human Rights and Poverty Alleviation


 3. UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities


 4. UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples




Part 6

Equality

 Introduction


 Documents

 1. Declaration of Principles on Equality


 2. Fourth World Conference on Women Beijing Declaration


 3. Durban Declaration and Programme of Action against Racism etc.




Part 7

International Human Rights Policy

 Introduction


 Documents

 1. Core Provisions of UN Charter (1945)


 2. General Assembly resolution 34/175


 3. Teheran Proclamation, 1968


 4. Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action


 5. The Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact


 6. Global Compact on Refugees Report of High Commissioner for Refugees, 2018


 7. New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants




Part 8

Sustainable Development

 Introduction: the Right to Development


 Documents

 1. The Sustainable Development Goals


 2. UN Declarations on Right to Peace


 3. UN Declaration on Right to Development


 4. Draft Convention on the Right to Development


 5. UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights




Part 9

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

 Introduction


 Documents

 1. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights


 2. European Social Charter


 3. Jurisprudence of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights




Part 10

Civil and Political Rights

 Introduction


 Documents

 1. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights


 2. Jurisprudence of the Human Rights Committee


 3. International Human Rights Jurisprudence


 4. The Contribution of National Courts to the Development of International Human Rights Law




Part 11

National Protection of Human Rights

 Documents

 1. The International Commission of Jurists and the Rule of Law


 2. International, Regional and National Jurisprudence Elaborating on the Requirements of a National Protection System


 3. Principles Relating to the Status of National Institutions (the Paris Principles)




Part 12

International Protection of Human Rights

 Introduction


 Documents

 1. UN Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation


 2. Resolution Establishing the UN Human Rights Council


 3. Theo van Boven, The Commission on Human Rights and the Human Factor


 4.  Heads of UN and Red Cross Issue Joint Warning


 5. Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon, The UN and the Human Factor


 6. Secretary-General Guterres ‘Call to Action’ in His Address to UN Human Rights Council, 24 February, 2020


 7. Human Rights Council Resolution on Situation of Human Rights in Eritrea


 8. Human Rights Council Resolution on Technical Assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Accountability Concerning the Events in the Kasai Regions


 9. List of Persons Deemed Responsible for Crime of Apartheid Published by Centre for Human Rights (UN Press Release Hr/1711, 5 July, 1985)




 Conclusion




Further Reading


Index