The UDHR: The Force Of Law

Two of thirty recognised human rights by the United Nations are “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Doc. 1)” or “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms”(Doc. 1). However, both are still problems that continue to happen more than fifty years after the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human rights are continuously violated because when the United Nations created the document it did not legally bind any country to uphold the rights of their people, making the document little more than words on paper. Eleanor Roosevelt remarked during a meeting of the United Nations that “without concerned citizen action to uphold them, we shall look in vain for progress (Doc. 2). Eleanor Roosevelt was emphasizing that the government cannot force the people to utilize their human rights. It is a responsibility that the people must take upon themselves. For example, in the United States we have the right to freedom of speech, but we cannot be forced to speak out, but must do it of our own accord. If we do not use our right to freedom speech it becomes more easily forgotten or taken away. The human rights of people are often times violated simply because the people allow them to be or don’t recognise that they are entitled to them which is why it is important to know

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated and written in over 500 more languages. It is also a historic document written at the end of the II World

“Ideas about human rights have evolved over many centuries. But they achieved strong international support following the Holocaust and World War II. To protect future generations from a repeat of these horrors, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 and invited states to sign and ratify it”

Human rights - they are an ongoing issue in the world today, with the constant struggle against violation. The United Nations has accepted 30 articles on human rights, which help protect millions from political, social, and legal abuses (UDHR). Even with the insistence from the world’s leaders to follow and honor these rights, violation is common and provides a serious threat to people all over the world. One example of a violation of human rights such as equality and safety in possessions is shown through the issue of Japanese American internment camps (UDHR).

With this like stated before, we are born with rights that are rightfully ours and the government is there to ensure that they aren’t taken away from us. But I also feel that while the UDHR is also important it has a few more restrictions. There are many rights that we are given but I feel that they are somewhat expendable. For example, the statement “These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations”. They can be easily be taken away if seen fit by the government and I do not think that it is

On a global political stand point there was a uniting of ideas and governments; what we know today as the United Nations (UN). One of the main ideas which the UN has grown up around is ‘The individual possess rights simply by virtue of being Human’ (The Universal Declaration of human rights); which was adopted by the general assembly in 10th December 1948. This statement is reflect in the core principles

“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” as Mark Twain is often reputed to have said explains with much rhetoric that in fact history is not repeated in a sense that the same events happen over and over again, instead events embrace similar themes. The same concept of Mr. Twain’s history comparison can be brought in support of why the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) drafted in 1948 by the UN --an international agreement that dictates basic rights and undeniable freedoms in which all human beings are entitled to-- should be updated. After analyzing the Human Rights Treaty it was concluded that amending the UDHR should be considered because of advancements in the world, in main part due to globalization and

The UNDHR is extremely important as at the roots of these developments were suffering people. The UDHR was a breakthrough revolution and continues to be the thriving force of our nation.

World War II’s atrocities and the Four Freedoms and Atlantic Charter sparked calls for a new global order ruled by universal rights for all of humanity. The war crimes trials of German officials showed that the international community would hold individuals accountable for violations of human rights. In 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which declared that all people should have basic rights to freedom of speech and religion, should be free from arbitrary government, and should enjoy social and economic entitlements such as housing, education, healthcare, and an adequate standard of living. Though the document could not be enforced anywhere, its assertion that governments were accountable for the way they treated their citizens became widely

The udhr was created by the united nations after world war two, the purpose of the document was that it was to provide clear evidence of what rights we have as humans, protection against genocide is one of many included human rights, although not all countries agreed with the document and didn’t sign it. Australia did along with many countries.

To summarize, all thirty articles written in the UDHR document is important for all human beings. However, some are more critical than the others in a way that gives people the right to be treat equally despite all other differences. Article 12 is essential because it gives people to autonomy of themselves and the liberty to make personal choices without been spy on.

While the UDHR is derived from European cultures, it is applicable to other cultures, because they are based on normative ethics. Cultures are also malleable and can change, therefore, even if one of the articles is not accepted in the culture as a right, that can change. However, how they are influenced to change raises ethical questions. Despite cultural differences,

The Proposed British Bill of Rights is a proposal from the Conservative Government that was included in their 2015 election manifesto. The main purpose of the proposal was to aim to replace the Human Rights Act 1998 with a new piece of primary legislation.

"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR, Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Declaration, Human Rights Charter, The Un and Human Rights." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 16 Aug.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 was the first attempt to establish the universality of Human Rights. It was a response to the immense loss of life and destruction caused by Second World War and the failure of the international community to respond to it swiftly. The action of Western Europe and North America to deny entry to German Jews fleeing persecution and sending them back also highlighted the need for a universal code of conduct. The Declaration, which later served as the basis for the International Bill of Human Rights of 1966, encompassed the fundamental rights of individual regardless of nationality. The growth in globalization and the increase in free flow of people and information have brought the universality of human right to the forefront.