As a temporary partial definition, see https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2020/08/human-rights-few-legalistic-pandemic.html.
The UDHR is not enforceable because it is a Declaration, but its rights have been encoded into the enforceable twin covenants (which I consider more activists should use). From the above link:
See also the following, which includes what I consider useful and valid extensions to/updates of the UDHR:
- https://gnwmythrsglossary.blogspot.com/2021/12/human-rights.html, which includes the following:
On the UDHR, there are some important points that not enough people know about. From Geoffrey Robertson’s “Crimes Against Humanity”, and Mary Ann Glendon’s “A World Made New”:
- the United Nation’s Commission on Human Rights, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt [4] , supported by Canadian law professor John Humphrey [5] , and with outstanding contributions from China’s PC Cheng [6] and Lebanon’s Charles Malik [7] , and France’s René Cassin [8] , had the task of developing the UDHR;
- the appalling crimes committed by nazi Germany and imperial Japan (see World War (part) Two) were major influences on the Commission’s thinking:
o “except in cases prescribed by law” was removed from Article 3 because the nazis did many murders in accordance with their perverted laws;
o parent’s right to choose the education of their children was a reaction to the brainwashing of the nazis;
o the emphasis on individual rights in response to totalitarianism unfortunately also resulted in minority rights not being protected (also not helped by Australia’s assimilationist thinking);
o legal protections were partly because of nazi show trials, but others also had a history of show trials;
- the USSR opposed enforceability and eventually got the USA on side so enforceability was removed, giving us “just” a declaration instead (the “twin covenants”, however, make the rights listed in the UDHR enforceable - and Australia suggested an international human rights court). The USSR and its puppets also blocked mention of democracy, but were - together with Central and South American nations and Sweden and Norway - an influence in getting tights to work, education, and basic subsistence included;
- India’s Hansa Mehta [9] was responsible for “human family” being used in the preamble instead of “man”;
- anthropologists warned the Commission, who wanted to avoid cultural imperialism, of the dangers of ethnocentrism, and UNESCO had a group of philosophers perform a cultural survey in 1947 that supported the universality of these rights - it was not thought of as Western or Eurocentric at the time, but as obvious;
- some matters were omitted that would have been possibly beneficial - such as a commentary on economic rights that was based on an ILO definition, and the prevention of statelessness;
- the UDHR was adopted by 48 nations on 10th December, 1948, with eight nations abstaining - the USSR and 5 of its puppet states, South Africa (which wanted to keep its apartheid laws), and Saudi Arabia (which wanted to punish people who change religion);
- the 56 nations of the General Assembly included 14 Asian, 4 African, and 20 Central or South American nations.
The UDHR lists the following human rights (which I’ve rearranged and abbreviated a little):
- all humans are equal in dignity and rights, and are entitled to rights without discrimination;
- everyone has the right to life, liberty and security;
- slavery and the slave trade is banned in all its forms;
- no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
- everyone has the right to equal treatment before the law (“everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law”) and associated rights;
- everyone has the right to privacy and to the protection of law in that and honour and reputation (and to protection of property);
- everyone has the right to freedom of movement, and to seek asylum;
- everyone has the right to marry and found a family;
- everyone has the right to freedom of thought & religion, to freedom of opinion and expression, of association or not, and to cultural & intellectual rights;
- everyone has the right to take part in the governance of their nation;
- everyone has the right to social services, fair work, and an adequate standard of living;
- right to education.
The are other international treaties which add details or expand on these rights - for instance, the rights of children, and specifics around countering sexism and racism.
- European Convention of Human Rights:
- https://www.echr.coe.int/Pages/home.aspx?p=basictexts&c=;
- https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list?module=treaty-detail&treatynum=005#;
- https://rm.coe.int/1680a2353d (may be updated from time to time);
- https://www.britannica.com/event/European-Convention-on-Human-Rights-Europe-1950; and
- https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=European_Convention_on_Human_Rights&oldid=1134250389;
- the Yogyakarta Principles:
Posts of mine which include or touch on the UDHR include the following (which is not an exhaustive list):
- https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2022/04/declarations-and-interpetive-guidelines.html;
- https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2021/04/scotts-trampling-on-principle-of.html;
- https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2020/12/human-rights-day.html;
- https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2019/04/human-rights-course-first-study-summary.html;and
- https://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2022/09/post-no-2274-evil-of-utilitarianism-930.html.
