EQ2 Flashcards
(17 cards)
Human rights
Guaranteed freedoms all humans are entitled to
UDHR
Established by UN Commision on Human Rights after in 1948 after WW2 to prevent more terrible abuses and create a more peaceful world
30 Articles
Not legally binding but some countries choose to implement it into national laws, making HR abuses punishable by law
Soviet Union and SA abstained from voting for implementation of UDHR
Imposing Western ideas (different morals and standards) - SA: freedom of religion goes against Islamic teachings
Used as a political tool to justify interventions by countries for their own gain (USA Iraq)
List articles from the UDHR
No discrimination
Right to equality
Equal treatment under law
No arbitrary arrest
Innocent until proven guilty
No slavery
No torture
Fair trial
Allowed to seek asylum
Freedom of thought/religion
Freedom of opinion/expression
Right to government participation
Right to health and wellbing
Right to work
Right to rest/leisure
Free elementary education
No denial of any rights
ECHR
Created by 12 members of Council of Europe in 1953
18 articles, overlap with UDHR (new rights include abolition of death penalty)
Legally binding - enforced by European Court of Human Rights
Russia withdraw in 2022 - undermined national sovereignty
ECHR in UK
Human Rights Act 1998 - law
all UK laws must now respect ECHR
ECHR too much control over UK - loss of sovereignty - controversial
This view gained popularity during Brexit debates
Geneva Convention
Set up by IRC in 1949, signed by 196 countries
Torture still used in 140 countries
Aims to protect rights during war and conflict
Minimises harm done to civilians and prisoners of war
Bans terrorism, torture, taking hostages and sexual assault
ICC holds trials for Geneva Convention
Liberian president found guilty of war crimes: recruiting child soldiers
ICC only 123 members signed, often lack of evidence for trial
Human Rights - UK
World leader in defending HRs (especially democracy and fos)
Criticised CCP implementing censorship laws in Hong Kong
Speak up about HRs in international forums (condemned Russia’s actions in G7 meeting 2022 - illegal and unjustifiable)
2020: passed a law allowing imposing of sanctions on HR-abusing countries (Global human rights sanctions regulations)
Economic development - India
Prioritise basic needs of their people, lack of wealth changes priorities
Chattisgarh Mines - indigenous groups
(Coal mining)
Protesters imprisoned
India #2 global coal consumer
Argue such practices are economically and socially beneficial long-term / larger scale
Superpowers
More emerging powers transitioning to democracies - increased priority to HRs
Brazil, Mexico, South Africa in last 50 years
China - Authoritarian
CCP
Only high ranking officials can vote in elections
Fos:
Great firewall, laws against criticising the government
Criticised for mistreatment of ethnic minorities (Tibetans, Uyghurs)
Germany - Democratic
SDP
Fos protected by national constitution
HRs strongly protected
Accepted huge numbers of refugees in recent years - however rising tensions (crime, social pressures)
Corruption threatens human rights
Corruption = misuse of power to serve personal interests
Corruption Index measures corruption
Democracies at much lower risk of corruption as the majority will not elect corrupt governments
Corruption can enable HR violations by allowing illegal activities without enforcing consequences
Human Rights National Variability (Rwanda)
Systematic discrimination - those in power ignore/restrict HRs of certain groups (ethnicity, gender)
Belgian colonisers viewed Tutsi as superior - rights e.g education not given to Hutu
Hutu rebellion - many Tutsi fled
1994 extremist Hutu group started a genocide
Afterwards, Twa minority group were unable to claim survivor compensation by govt, lack of representation and unable to claim certain rights
Human Rights National Variability (Indigenous peoples in North America)
Discrimination since European colonisation
Schools and healthcare underfunded due to rural isolation
Dd/100k (2019) 41 27
IM/1000 (2019) 7.9 5.6
%HSg (2019) 74 86
A lack of rights makes it difficult to protest against lack of development support - inequality
Afghanistan - gender equality
Taliban strict Sharia Law
limits female access to education
higher levels of violence against women
2001-2012 - 3.3mn girls in school after US removed Taliban from power
2021 Taliban reclaimed control
Banned female secondary education
Political instability makes future of women’s rights uncertain and may prevent progress long term - slower rate of improvement
NGOs and IGOs e.g UN support women’s rights
Ethnic Rights - ATSI
Lower LE and literacy rates than na
2008: Govt and NGOs launched ‘Closing the Gap’ campaign to achieve health equality by 2030
20% Inctease in ATSI children graduating high school (2008-2020)
However racial discrimination still widespread in Australia - 40% of ATSI report experiencing rd
What are the four Geneva Convention Laws
- Protection of wounded/sick soldiers or medics in the battlefield
- Protection of wounded/sick soldiers shipwrecked or lost at sea
- Prohibits mistreatment of prisoners of war
- Protection of civilians during time of war
