International human rights law covers laws, regulations, and agreements related to how governments treat certain groups. The United Nations is a major contributor to this law, with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights being a well-known treaty. However, enforcement and adoption of these laws vary by country. Regional bodies, such as the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, exist to enforce human rights law in their respective regions.
International human rights law is a collective term that includes any law, regulation, or agreement relating to the way governments treat certain groups of individuals. Most international human rights law addresses discrimination, racial profiling, gender inequalities, and government-sanctioned violence or torture. Because the laws of each country are different, there is no single international human rights law. However, there are globally and regionally uniform human rights treaties that many countries have adopted, which gives a somewhat uniform legal landscape to some areas of human rights.
Most developments in international human rights law are products of United Nations (UN) treaties and the work of committees. The United Nations is an international body made up of delegates from nearly 200 countries. United Nations delegates discuss global problems and look for ways to harmonize the laws of various countries on all kinds of issues. Human rights have traditionally been an area of concerted effort by the United Nations.
Perhaps the best-known United Nations treaty is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This document was adopted in 1948. The Declaration establishes the fundamental rights that all human beings in the world should be able to enjoy. Among other things, the Declaration deals with civil rights, socio-economic rights, and cultural and political rights.
Shortly after the UN General Assembly approved the UDHR, the UN Commission on Human Rights introduced a companion document, known as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Together these two documents form what is known as the International Bill of Rights. Unlike a Bill of Rights signed and ratified by a native nation, however, the International Bill of Rights is not, per se, enforceable. As promulgated by the United Nations, it is little more than a guideline.
The difficulty with international law, and especially international human rights law, is that there is no way to enforce uniform adoption. Each country makes its own laws and implements its own standards. Entities like the United Nations exist to encourage countries to adopt similar regulations. It can condition accession to ratification. The UN cannot, however, tell a country how to ratify, or in any way force a country’s hand to bring its laws into conformity.
As a result, there is a somewhat fragmented body of human rights law when looking at the global landscape. Some countries have fully incorporated the International Bill of Rights and its supporting treaties and amendments into national law. Others have taken pieces or adopted parts. Still others have changed their laws, but have done little to actually enforce human rights policies.
Human rights are a major concern for many countries. Civil rights violations and government-sanctioned discrimination are often a major reason for wars and political and military intervention in government affairs. Individual nations have, at times, formed their own human rights committees to report on the global human rights landscape. There are also three regional bodies dedicated to the exploration and enforcement of human rights law.
All members of the European Union are bound by the European Convention on Human Rights and alleged violations of international human rights law are judged in a dedicated European Court of Human Rights. A similar system exists in Africa. Members of the African Union are obligated to follow the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, a document written by an African Commission group of the same name. Violations must be judged by the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights.
In North and South America, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights applies both the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and the American Convention on Human Rights. These documents have been agreed and ratified by all countries on both continents. Human rights disputes and disputes in relation to the compliance of some countries are brought to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
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