HUMAN RIGHTS, A QUESTION NOWADAYS!


From birth, human beings are inherent with a broad range of civil, political, social, economic, and cultural rights. These rights are universal, regardless of nationality, sex, ethnicity, color, religion, language, etc. Violation of these rights in any form is simply explained as human rights violation and can be held accountable before the International Court of Justice.


A state can commit human rights violations either directly or indirectly. It can be intentionally performed by the state or come as a result of the state's failure to prevent the violation. These violations must not always be physical.


The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was established in response to the atrocities during World War II, including the Holocaust. Though all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the legally binding International Covenants of Human Rights (ICCPR, CESCR) are considered essential, there are certain types of violations we tend to consider more serious.


Civil rights, which include the right to life, safety, and equality before the law, are considered by many to be 'first-generation' rights. Political rights, which include the right to a fair trial and the right to vote, also fall under this category. Civil and political rights are violated through genocide, torture, and arbitrary arrest. These violations often happen during times of war, and when a human rights violation intersects with the breaking of laws about armed conflict, it's known as a war crime.


Conflict can also trigger violations of the right to freedom of expression and the right of peaceful assembly. Suppressing political rights is a common tactic for many governments during times of unit unrest.


Human trafficking is currently one of the largest issues on a global scale, as millions of men, women, and children are forced into labor and sexual exploitation. Religious discrimination is also very common in many places around the world. These violations often occur because the state is failing to protect vulnerable groups.


As per the UDHR, economic, social, and cultural rights include the right to work, the right to education, and the right to physical and mental health. In human rights treaties, states bear the primary burden of responsibility for protecting and encouraging human rights. When a government ratifies a treaty, they have a threefold obligation. They must respect, protect, and fulfill human rights. When violations occur, it is the government's job to intervene and prosecute those responsible. The government must hold everyone, even itself, accountable. Violations occur all the time, but they should always be called out.


Fathima Nusrath 

Wadeema Wafiyya College, Taliparamba