Human Rights

1. Unit 2. HUMAN RIGHTS
Human rights are innate conditions. This means that we all have the same rights
because we are all human beings. Our human rights are also inalienable, because no one can
take them away from us. Human rights are also called fundamental rights.
Human rights are vitally important. For this reason, everyone must recognize, respect,
protect and promote human rights, and most especially governments and other authorities.
Human rights are:
• Universal. All human beings have got the same human rights.
• Inalienable. They belong to each person. Non one can transfer the, or take them away.
• Non-negotiable. No one can negotiate our rights, under any circumstances or for any
cause.
We exercise our rights as:
• Individuals. We all have individual rights. Some examples are freedom of expression,
freedom of association and religious freedom.
• Social groups or collectives. As members of society, we have rights to equality and
solidarity in matters such as education, health-care or access to information.
In general, democratic states recognize, respect, protect and promote human rights.
However, this is not true in dictatorships and other types of authoritarian or totalitarian
governments.
Declarations of Human Rights
In 1948, The United Nations proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
However, this was not the first declaration of human rights in history.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not a mandatory treaty, but it has inspired
the constitutions of many different states –especially democratic states. In today´s world, the
Declaration is an expression humanity`s collective conscience.
In the past sixty years, the Declaration has been an important instrument for promoting human
rights. However, we must keep working hard to put these rights into practice. Women continue
to be victims of violence and abuse. Women are usually poorer than men and they often suffer
discrimination in the workplace.
Around the world, many children are victims of human trafficking and exploitation. They
are used as workers, child soldiers and sexual merchandise. Indigenous people and refugees
are also marginalized with very limited rights.
Wars and armed conflicts provide many opportunities for the violation of human rights.
Authoritarian and totalitarian regimes do not respect people`s basic rights and freedoms, and
the legal systems in many countries (including some democratic countries) continue to apply the
death penalty.

2. Unit 2. HUMAN RIGHTS
The Convention on the Rights of the Child
Children are vulnerable because they are not physically or mentally mature. For this
reason, they need care and protection. During the 20th
century, there were important
developments in the defense of children`s rights.
• The Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1924). This was the first
international declaration in favor of children`s rights.
• The creation of UNICEF (1946). The United Nations created The United Nations
Children`s Fund to care for children in developing countries.
• The Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959). After the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights in 1948, The United Nations approved a special declaration about
children`s rights.
• The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). The United Nations presented a
new international treaty to establish the human rights of children.
• The World Summit for Children (1990). This summit about children`s rights was the
largest meeting of world leaders in history.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international treaty. It defines the civil,
cultural, economic, political and social rights of children. The Convention is a legally binding
treaty. All of the countries that sign the treaty must respect these rights.
The Convention defines the human rights of children all around the world. The basic
rights of the Convention are:
• The right to survival.
• The right to full development.
• The right to protection from dangerous influences, abuse, exploitation.
• The right to full participation in family life, cultural life and social life.
The Convention defends four basic principles:
• Non-discrimination.
• The defense of the best interest of the child.
• The right to life, survival and development.
• Respect for children`s views.
• It also defines standards for legal, civil and social services, including health-care and
education.