Enforcement of Human Rights Internationally
Human rights are the privileges that an individual is supposed to enjoy, regardless of gender, race, nationality, and religion. Human rights are the privileges one enjoys for being a human being. Human rights are the moral principles that guide human beings and how they relate to one another. Human rights are deduced from natural law and cannot be taken away from an individual and cannot be forfeited. Human rights exist so that human beings in the world can coexist peacefully. Human rights apply equally to all individuals to protect the dignity of all human beings. Human rights are universal, and they are interdependent. One has to fulfill one right to realize the other. Human rights being the moral principle, ought to be accomplished globally to have a peaceful world. Without human rights, life and dignity of humans would be meaningless.
Human rights can be categorized into primary and secondary human rights. Internationally, individuals are entitled to the right to life and personal security. Nations should guarantee their citizens’ safety. Human rights also grant human beings the freedom of belief and religion. A person can choose which religion to follow without coercion. People also have a right to equality and freedom from discrimination. Human rights state that people have to be free from torture and any degrading treatment. In the event of a trial, individuals have to be accorded a fair trial. The right to equality before the law is also guaranteed. Human rights also give people the right to privacy and freedom of opinion. Secondary human rights include different kinds of socio-economic rights (Ghosal, 2010). Secondary human rights include the right to health, right to education, right to work, right to participate in government, and the right to association and peaceful assembly. Countries should ensure that their citizens enjoy these rights and freedoms. States, therefore, strive to put up mechanisms to ensure that these rights are met.
Human rights are crucial in the modern world. The concept of granting people the freedom of speech has enabled people to speak up against vices. People can call out the corrupt and speak out when things are going wrong. Speaking out helps in keeping governments on toes while executing their mandates. Human rights also empower people to know they deserve a better society. Human rights also protect people from any abuse. Vulnerable groups of people, such as the disabled, can coexist with others without being discriminated against. Violation of human rights brings war, and the promotion of human rights brings forth peace (Butcher & Hallward, 2016). The peaceful coexistence of all people brings forth a conducive environment for one to live in. Human rights also ensure that the basic requirements of people are met. Human rights form a threshold that has to be met. People, therefore, have a baseline level of dignity since everyone’s basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing are met. Existence of human rights also makes people free to air their opinions. Human rights ensure that nobody is reprimanded for having a different view. People are free to debate, thus leading to better decisions in all levels of administration.
Human rights make people flourish in society. Human rights grant people the right to work. Through work, people meet their daily needs and live a fulfilled life. Human rights also advocate for equal work opportunities, and they also provide a guideline on how workers need to be treated while at work. People can also access education globally. The right to education helps in imparting society with basic knowledge. Education also helps in poverty eradication. Education being a right, means it is accessible to everyone and not just the elites (Viljoen, 2012). Human rights also help people to choose who to love. Forced marriages are discouraged, and people are given the liberty to select relationships they want to be in. Being in control of their life make people live a joyous life. Human rights also provide universal standards that can be used to hold governments accountable. Human rights need to be upheld. Measures need to be put in place internationally to enforce human rights.
Human rights can be enforced internationally by the use of international organizations. International organizations champion for human rights. International organizations aim at empowering citizens and creating awareness on human rights (Donnelly, Whelan, & Whelan, 2018). International organizations are diverse and broad, and access people at grassroots levels. International organizations, through their employees, reach out to people, identify their challenges, and help champion them to the right channels. Volunteers and the workers are in touch with people; therefore, they understand their needs and can recognize the rights they have been deprived of. International human rights organizations also campaign against legislation that may adversely affect the enjoyment of human rights. In the event of a dispute between countries, human rights organizations come in handy. Human rights organizations advocate for peace and try their best to mediate in times of conflict.
Human rights can be enforced internationally through global participation. An increase in global participation in making international laws has led to the obeying of human rights (Moscrop, 2014). When different countries participate in making or amending international human rights laws, the rate of obedience is higher. Countries feel part of the process, thus creating a feeling of acceptance of the rules. Nations do not feel like the law is being forcefully imposed on them. When states form unions, they are obligated to go by the union’s stands. State unions should adopt and support mechanisms to enforce human rights. When states unions embrace human rights, state obedience is expected. Member countries would not like to disappoint their unions. Human rights organizations should work hand in hand with different unions to get state obedience. Human rights activists should seek a representation in the union meetings to discuss human rights and strategies put in place by each state to implement human rights. State unions, therefore, play a critical role in the enforcement of human rights.
Poverty in developing and underdeveloped countries may deter the enforcement of human rights globally. Human rights are interdependent, and they require resources to be met. A nation with inadequate resources may struggle to provide its citizens with social amenities. Extreme poverty denies access to life, health, and often to education and participation (Starkey, 2012). Developing and underdeveloped countries may not have sufficient resources to provide for the needs of their citizens. The countries rely on grants from other countries, and when they fail to come on time, citizens may not enjoy socio-economic rights. Corruption and mismanagement of resources at national levels may deny people fundamental human rights. When money allocated to meet the needs of people looted and channeled to other purposes, a deficit is created; therefore, the government will not be able to give citizens their rights. People do not have access to education and die as a result of hunger and not being able to access quality healthcare. In some states, poor people are marginalized and discriminated against for being poor. Discrimination of the poor creates a gap between the wealthy and the poor in society. The wealthy and the elites will continue oppressing the poor. Poverty, corruption, and mismanagement of funds hinder the enforcement of human rights internationally.
The enforcement of human rights internationally requires individual states to act. Some states may fail to provide a conducive environment for the implementation of human rights. Political instability and differences make it challenging to enforce human rights. A country with an authoritarian regime is likely to focus more on giving the opposition more political freedom than providing essential services like health and education to its citizens (Quintavalla & Heine, 2019). Some regimes may not prioritize the provision of services and implementing human rights, but rather focus on retaining power. When a country neglects human rights belonging to its citizens, it undermines the global effort to enforce those rights. The political environment is crucial in the implementation of human rights. Some regimes neglect their mandates to protect human rights for their gains. Democracy over the world varies from country to country. Variation in democracy levels and political environments makes it challenging to enforce human rights globally. Different states also have different constitutions. Some practices like same-gender marriages are allowed in other countries but forbidden in other countries. Some people may take it as a norm, while others may consider it an infringement of their rights. The difference in the rules in different nations makes it challenging to enforce human rights uniformly internationally.
Enforcing human rights internationally can be challenging because some nations do not sensitize their citizens on their rights. Citizens are not aware of their rights; therefore cannot enjoy those rights. States may take that advantage and manipulate some citizens to benefit the elites. Nations and national institutions are mandated to uphold human rights. Human rights are put in a language of entitlement to the holders and responsibility to the states. States can use their power to justify and exonerate themselves from some acts (Frankenberg, 2014). For example, states can engage in wars they are not supposed to and try to defend themselves by saying they were protecting the citizens. Citizens whose rights have been curtailed cannot stand up for themselves; neither can they call out the social vices happening in the country. A dictatorship kind of regime ensures that the citizens are not aware of their rights so that they do not become a threat. In such a setup, only the elite’s needs are met while the rest are left unattended. Lack of awareness makes people miss essential services that should be provided by the government. Lack of knowledge hinders the implementation of human rights globally.
People tend to align themselves in groups. The groups may be racial, religious groups, and cultural groups, and antagonism may exist as a result of the grouping. Members of a particular group may view people who do not belong to their groups as bad and perceive that only members of that group are good people (Carriere, 2019). People form their opinions on other people and treat them based on those opinions. Prejudgments lead people to hate one another. When people hate or despise one another, they tend to mistreat others. When a particular group dominates in a given nation, the minority groups are discriminated against, therefore making it challenging to implement human rights internationally. Different cultures have different practices. In some cultures, torture was a norm, whereas it is an infringement of human rights. In other cultures, girls forced into early marriages. People with such lifestyles may find it difficult to leave their culture to uphold human rights. Convincing people to quit their cultural practices may be quite intensive, therefore making it challenging to enforce human rights globally (Asomah, 2015). Human rights are fundamental in preserving dignity for everyone.
Human rights are universal and cannot be lost. Human rights help people coexist peacefully and give hope for a better tomorrow. Human rights can be enforced internationally by making use of international human rights organizations and state unions. However, the implementation of human rights is faced with several barriers. Poverty denies enforcement of human rights. Lack of awareness and lack of sensitization derails attempts to enforce human rights globally. Cultural practices are also a hindrance to the implementation of human rights. Despite having barriers, human rights should be implemented globally.
References
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