The document summarizes the evolution of international declarations on human rights from the initial Universal Declaration adopted by the UN in 1948 to more recent modifications. It discusses how the definition of human rights has expanded over time to include new issues like the rights of indigenous peoples and the right to natural resources. However, it argues that in practice, mega corporations and governments sometimes violate human rights, as seen in cases where indigenous groups are displaced from their land against their will or farmers are impacted by the unchecked introduction of GMOs. The definition of human rights must continue evolving progressively to fill gaps and prevent powerful economic interests from subverting human rights.

1. Presented By:

2.  The initial universal declaration adopted by
the United Nations
 The subsequent modifications
 The current stand of the UN on the issue
 Further emphasis on New issues recently
recognized
 The conflict between personal economic
interests and the human rights
 Agriculture and human rights

3.  Adopted by the UN on December 1948
 The preamble states
 “….Whereas disregard and contempt of human
rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have
outraged the conscience of mankind, and the
advent of a world in which human rights shall
enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom
from fear as want has been proclaimed as the
highest aspiration of the common people”

4.  Adopted by the UN in January 1976
 Its preamble states that
 “….recognizing that in accordance with the
Universal declaration, the ideal of free human
being enjoying freedom from fear and want can
only be achieved if conditions are created
whereby everyone may enjoy economic, social
and cultural rights. As well as civil and political
rights…”

5.  Adopted on September 2007
 It concerns the following
 Rights of indigenous people who have suffered
because of colonization, dispossession of their
lands
 Respect and promote, inherent rights of people
which they derive from cultures, spiritual
traditions, histories and philosophies

6.  Indigenous people and right to have control
over the factors affecting their lands,
territories and resources will be able to better
maintain and strengthen their culture and
traditions
 The right of all people to be different, to
consider themselves different and be
respected as such

7.  Some other interesting changes in definition
of human rights
 Indigenous people shall not be forcibly removed
from their land
 No relocation to take place without the prior
consent of the indigenous people and without
proper compensation
 States shall consult indigenous people through
their own institutions

8.  The right to natural resources also brings up
another dimension to the question of human
rights
 Worth Mentioning is the case of the dongria konds
and the Nyamgiri hills
 Mega trans nationals backed by their own
governments and international treaeties are
practicing a new form of slavery
 Those whose rights are either not aware of it or
 Are unable to fight this subversion since a false
legitimacy is crafted

9.  In human development index
 India ranks 119th amongst 169 countries
 In human hunger index India is ranked
BELOW THE FOLLOWING
 PAKISTAN
 NEPAL
 SRI LANKA

10.  The emergence of genetic Engineering and
genetically modified (GM) food
 The case of Bt cotton India, which claimed the
following
 Increasing yield
 Decrease in expenditure on pesticides
 The truth about bt cotton
 It cost more then traditional cotton seeds
 It was tactically forwarded by big companies
 There was a nexus between regulators and corporate
 It was gross violation of human rights

11.  The definition of human rights needs to
change with changing environment
 The need for such changes generally arise
because of some gaps in the current
definitions
 Human rights should not be in accordance
with economic elites but with everybody
 Definition of human rights ought to be
progressive