Human Rights:
An Essential Foundation for Sustainable Futures

[All persons have] the fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being, and [they] bear a solemn responsibility to protect and improve the environment for present and future generations

Stockholm Declaration of the UN Conference on the Human Environment, 1972

We commit ourselves to building a humane, equitable and caring global society, cognizant of the need for human dignity for all... we assume a collective responsibility to advance and strengthen the interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable development — economic development, social development and environmental protection

World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, 2002

We acknowledge that good governance and the rule of law at the national and international levels are essential for sustained economic growth, sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and hunger. We reaffirm that gender equality and the promotion and protection of the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all are essential to advance development and peace and security. We are committed to creating a world fit for future generations

2005 World Summit Outcomes

Defining Human Rights

For much of history, the rights of one social group have not been the same as those of another, and the lion’s share has belonged to those who – by birth, gender, ownership of resources, religious authority – possessed power. This still often prevails in reality, but its acceptance as the ‘proper’ human condition has increasingly been challenged by egalitarianism, so that the concept of universal human rights, rare and radical as it was when the fourteenth century author of Piers the Plowman argued that water and air, as God-given natural gifts to all humanity, should not be bought and sold.

The classic slogans of universal human rights come from the late eighteenth century: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité from the French Revolution and ‘ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’ from the American War of Independence. From the mid-twentieth century the United Nations has steadily expanded such ideas as it defines and promotes universal human rights. It has also become increasingly insistent (see the quotations above) on the interconnectedness of the four points separately identified in its foundation document, the UN Charter of 1945:

• to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind;

• to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small;
• to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
• to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.

Behind these dot points lies the essential recognition that denial of human rights leads to unjust distribution of resources, social unrest and political instability – even to justifiable violent revolution, as acknowledged in the preamble to the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The 30 separate Articles of the Declaration fleshed out the second dot point of the UN Charter, but the continuing promotion and protection of UN’s campaign for human rights has depended to a large part on drawing up and negotiating treaties (Conventions) which bind the subscribing nations to fulfil the Convention’s terms and to report regularly to the UN General Assembly on their progress in doing so. For information on some of the more important human rights Conventions see the list of Human Rights' Resources.

Can Human Rights be All-Inclusive?

Certain groups need specific attention to bring them within the protection of ‘universal’ rights, Women constitute one such group and the UN has seen recognized this in several ways: in the seminal Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); in the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, added to the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime; in Security Council Resolution 1325, which addressed the impact of war on women, and recognized that their participation in conflict resolution is essential to successful outcomes and sustainable peace.

Building Global Human Rights

Of special interest here are the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). These have been specifically designed to counter the inequitable distribution of wealth between developed and developing countries while encouraging global development. In overseeing the program, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)focuses on poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, democratic governance, energy and environment, and crisis prevention and recovery. It also encourages the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women in all of its programs

Responses to the MDG show how difficult it is to ensure rights for all: rights of developers may conflict with Indigenous land rights, a concern to representatives of indigenous peoples at the Fifth Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2006), see their Joint Statement.

Identifying and Preventing Abuses of Human Rights

The main UN bodes dealing with violations of human rights are the Human Rights Council and the International Court of Justice, but the UN doesn’t have a monopoly on this task. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are important international watchdogs. There are regional organizations such as the European Union or the South Pacific Women’s Information Network (PACWIN), while many nations have their own Charter or Bill of Rights, laws relating to human rights, and specific organizations to monitor, and in some cases enforce, rights.

Learning to Understand and Protect Human Rights

Education is essential to nurture a culture of human rights. Amnesty International, in its campaign to have human rights education part of everyday life in schools, says ‘ All Governments have a duty to teach regularly about human rights and to provide a learning environment where human rights are respected and acknowledged’. In 2004, the UN launched its World Programme for Human Rights Education and several UN bodies have a strong focus on rights education (see the Resources List.)

The international Federation of United Nations Associations has over 100 national associations devoted to furthering the aims of the UN. Its monthly digest, Unity, includes national Reports on Human Rights, progress on ratification of UN Conventions and Protocols, accounts of human rights abuses etc.

Training courses and networking for human rights advocates as well as detailed material for curriculum development at several levels can be found through Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) which has recently added on online Human Rights Learning Centre to its website.

Human rights are everybody’s business, and good businesses thrive on education and commitment, two things that distinguish members of IFUW.