Note on Human Rights

Koskey Changach^*
*Correspondence: Dr. Koskey Changach, Department of Educational Foundations, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya, Email:

Description

Human rights are rights that a person or group of individuals have simply by being human. Whatever their theoretical justification, human rights refer to a broad continuum of values or capabilities thought to enhance human agency or protect human interests and declared to be universal in character, in some sense equally claimed for all human beings, present, and future. These universal rights were inherent to everyone, regardless of nationality, gender, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or another status. They vary from the most basic, the right to life, through those that make life worthwhile, such as the rights to food, education, labor, health, and liberty. It is a well-known fact that human beings all over the world require the fulfillment of values or talents to secure their individual and communal well-being. It is also widely observed that this necessity, whether thought or articulated as a moral or legal demand, is frequently severely frustrated by social and natural forces, resulting in exploitation, oppression, persecution, and other types of deprivation.

Origin of human rights

Most human rights scholars trace the notion of human rights back to ancient Greece and Rome, where it was intimately linked to the stoic beliefs, which maintained that human behavior should be assessed and brought into line with natural law. The concept of human rights are natural rights was made possible by certain fundamental societal changes that occurred gradually at beginning of the 13^th century with the decline of European feudalism and continuing through the renaissance to the peace of Westphalia. Resistance to religious intolerance and political and economic bondage; ruler’s obvious failure to meet their obligations under natural law; and the renaissance's unprecedented commitment to individual expression and worldly experience all contributed to a shift in the conception of natural law from duties to rights during this period. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the United Nations general assembly, was the first legal declaration to outline the fundamental human rights that should be provided to all people.

The universal declaration of human rights is the cornerstone of all international human rights laws. Its 30 articles serve as the foundation for present and future human rights conventions, treaties, and other legal instruments. The international bill of rights is consists of the universal declaration of human rights, the international covenant on economic, and the international covenant on civil and political rights social, and cultural rights. The universality concept of human rights is the foundation of international human rights legislation. It implies that we all have equal access to our human rights. The idea was initially established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and is repeated in all other international human rights accords, declarations, and resolutions. Human rights are unalienable and absolute. They should not be taken away unless there are special circumstances and proper procedure is followed. For example, if a person is convicted of a crime in a court of law, his or her right to liberty can be restricted. All human rights are interconnected and universal.

This means that one set of rights cannot be completely enjoyed in the absence of the other. Making advancements in civil and political rights makes it easier to practice economic, social, and cultural rights. Similarly, violations of economic, social, and cultural rights can have a negative impact on a variety of other rights. According to article 1 of the UDHR, "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Article 2's restriction on discrimination is what ensures this equality. Non-discrimination applies to all aspects of international human rights law. This law is included in every major human rights treaty. It also includes two main components: The international convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination and the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. All countries have accepted at least one of the nine core human rights treaties and nine optional protocols.

Conclusion

Eighty percent of states have ratified four or more treaties. They imply that under international law, the states have obligations and duties to respect, preserve, and fulfill human rights. The requirement to respect requires states to refrain from interfering with or restricting the enjoyment of human rights. The commitment to protect obligates states to safeguard persons and organizations against human rights violations. The commitment to fulfill implies that states must take proactive steps to promote the enjoyment of fundamental human rights. Meanwhile, while we are all dedicated to our human rights, we must also respect and defend the human rights of others.