HHRI EQ2

Question 1

What is the UDHR?

Answer 1

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• They range from the fundamental - the right to life - to those that make life worth living, such as the rights to food, education, work, health and liberty. REGARDLESS, of religion, gender, income, politics, age etc.

The UDHR sets out 30 universal rights, including:

• Everyone is born free and equal
• Everyone has the right to an opinion and freedom to express it

Question 2

Significance of the UDHR?

Answer 2

The UDHR has been a significant factor in influencing foreign policies and international relationships, the UDHR has:

• Been used to justify a number of military interventions
• Inspired more than 80 international human rights treaties
• Used the promise of aid, especially economic, has been used to persuade other countries to improve their human rights record

These terms are now embedded in the UN Charter and therefore require all 193 member states to recognise and respect the 30 universal rights

Question 2

What is the ECHR?

Answer 2

In 1953, the Council of Europe created the ECHR to prevent conflict and promote unity in Europe

• It was in response to the human right violations seen in WWII and the post-war spread of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe

The ECHR contains 59 rights, which closely follow the UDHR

Question 3

Controversy over UK / ECHR?

Answer 3

However, some people believe that the UK has lost some of its sovereighty due to ECHR:

• Appeals related to verdicts given in UK courts can be sent to, and possibly overturned by, the European Court
• It prevents Britain from deporting terror suspects

Spearhead policy of Brexit - never happened tho…

Question 4

What is the Geneva Convention?

Answer 4

The four Geneva Conventions are a set of international rules that try to regulate war.

It aims to protect people’s rights during a conflict.

The Convention bans actions such as terrorism, torture, taking hostages and sexual assault

Currently, 196 countries have signed it.

Question 5

Counter to Geneva Convention?

Answer 5

Despite signing the convention some countries or militant groups have broken the conventions:

In 2015, Amnesty International reported that 141 countries worldwide had allegations of torture made against them

Question 6

Case Study for country prioritising Economic Development over Human Rights (NOT CHINA)

Answer 6

Singapore:

• Has one of the world’s highest GDP per capita
• Is one of the most business-friendly economies in the world
• However, the government limits political and civil rights (as freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly and association) through laws - like limited trade union power.
• It still has the death penalty and has one of the world’s highest execution rates per capita

Question 7

How do the UK enforce human rights (non intervention)

Answer 7

In 2020, the UK passed a law (The Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020) to allow it to impose sanctions on countries that are abusing the human rights of their citizens

• The UK sanctioned Russia over the war in Ukraine, including the banning of certain Russian imports

Question 8

Corruption figure?

Answer 8

5% of global GDP is spent corruptly