Human Rights

The syllabus
Course I
Introduction to Human Rights and Duties
Credit: 1
I) Basic Concept
a) Human Values- Dignity , Liberty, Equality , Justice, Unity in Diversity, Ethics and
Morals
b) Meaning and significance of Human Rights Education
II) Perspectives of Rights and Duties

a) Rights: Inherent-Inalienable-Universal- Individual and Groups
b) Nature and concept of Duties
c) Interrelationship of Rights and Duties
III) Introduction to Terminology of Various Legal Instruments

a) Meaning of Legal Instrument- Binding Nature
b) Types of Instruments: Covenant-Charter-Declaration-Treaty-Convention-Protocol-
Executive Orders and Statutes
IV) United Nations And Human Rights
a) Brief History of Human Rights- International and National Perspectives
b) Provision of the charters of United Nations
c) Universal Declaration of Human Rights- Significance-Preamble
d) Civil and Political Rights-(Art. 1-21)
e) Economic, Social and Cultural Rights-(Art.22-28)
f) Duties and Limitations-(Art. 29)
g) Final Provision (Art. 30)
Course II
Human rights of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups
Credit: 1
I) General Introduction
a) Meaning and Concept of Vulnerable and Disadvantaged
b) Groups, Customary, Socio-Economic and Cultural Problems of
c) Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Groups
II) Social status of women and children in International and national perspective
a) Human Rights and Women's Rights –International and National Standards

b) Human Rights of Children-International and National Standards
III) Status of Social and Economically Disadvantaged people
a) Status of Indigenous People and the Role of the UN

b) Status of SC/ST and Other Indigenous People in the Indian Scenario
c) Human Rights of Aged and Disabled
d) The Minorities and Human Rights
IV) Human rights of vulnerable groups
a) Stateless Persons
b) Sex Workers
c) Migrant Workers
d) HIV/AIDS Victims
Course III
Human Rights and Duties in India: Law, Policy, Society and Enforcement
Mechanism
Credit: 1
I. Human Rights in Indian Context

a) Indian Bill of Rights And Sarvodaya
b) Preamble- Fundamental Rights- Directive Principles-Fundamental Duties
II. Human Rights- Enforcement Mechanism

a) Human Rights Act, 1993
b) Judicial Organs- Supreme Court (Art 32) And High Courts(Art 226)
c) Human Rights Commission- National and State of Maharashtra
d) Commission of Women, children , Minority, SC/ST
e) Survey of International Mechanism
III. Human Rights Violations and Indian Polity

a) Inequalities in society-population-illiteracy-poverty-caster-inaccessibility of legal redress
b) Abuse of Executive Power-Corruption-Nepotism and favoritism
c) Human Rights and Good Governance
d)
IV. Role of Advocacy Groups
a) Professional Bodies: Press, Media, Role of Lawyers-Legal Aid
b) Educational Institutions
c) Role of Corporate Sector
d) NGO’s
UNIVERSITY OF PUNE
INTRODUCTION TO
HUMAN RIGHTS AND DUTIES
UNIVERSITY OF PUNE
INTRODUCTION TO
HUMAN RIGHTS AND DUTIES
Dr.T. S.N.Sastry
Professor & Head
Department of Law
University of Pune
Foreword
His Excellency Shri. K. Sankaranarayanan
Hon'ble Governor of Maharashtra
Preface
Dr. R. K. Shevgoankar
Vice Chancellor
University of Pune
Published by :
Dr. Manik Jadhav
Registrar,
University of Pune,
Ganeshkhind, Pune - 411 007.
Printed at :
University of Pune Press
Ganeshkhind, Pune - 411 007.
© University of Pune
First Edition 2011
No part of this book or the slides shall be reproduced in any manner without the prior
permission of the University of Pune.
University of Pune Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs
for external or third-party internet website referred to in this publication, and does not
guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or
appropriate.
August 2011.
Contents:
Forward
Preface
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION
UNIT I
BASIC CONCEPTS
1 Significance of Value 1
2 Human Values 2
3 Dignity 3
4 Liberty 4
5 Equality 5
6 Justice 6
7 Ethics and Morals 7
8 Unity in Diversity 8
9 Meaning and Significance of 8
Human Rights Education
10 Objectives of Human Rights Education 9
(A) Summary 10
(B) Multiple Choice Questions 11
UNIT II
Perspective of Rights and Duties
PART A Rights
1 Etymology of Right 12
2 Meaning of Right 12
3 Analysis of Right 12
4 Natural Rights 13
5 Legal Rights 14
6 Claim Rights and Liberty Rights 15
7 Positive and Negative Rights 15
8 Individual and Group Rights 16
9 Universal Rights 16
PART B Nature and Concept of Duties
1 Definitional Differences between 17
Obligation and Duty
2 Concept of Duty 18
3 The Different Types of Duties 19
A. Natural and Acquired Duties
B. Positive and Negative Duties
C. Perfect and Imperfect Duties
D. Prima facie and all things
considered as Duties
4 Rights and Protections accorded to 20
Human Rights Defenders
5 The Duties of States 21
6 The Responsibilities of Everyone 22
7 The Role of National Law 22
8 Impact of Duty on Society 23
9 Duty As a Value 24
10 Relationship between Rights and Duties 25
11 Summary : 26
(A) Rights
(B) Duties
12 Model Questions 28
UNIT III
Introduction to Terminology of Various Legal Instruments
1 Note on Legal Instruments 29

2 Treaty 30
3 Bilateral Treaty 30
4 Multilateral Treaty 30
5 Convention and Covenant 31
6 Declaration 31
7 Protocol 32
8 Conference 32
9 Resolutions 32
10 Charter and Statute 33
11 Executive orders 33
12 Summary 33
13 Multiple Choice Questions 34
UNIT IV
UNITED NATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
1. An Overview of UN System 35
2. Provisions of the UN Charter dealing with Human Rights 40
3. Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 41
Technical background
4. Significance of the UDHR 44
5. Analysis of the Declaration 45
Preamble of the Declaration 46
Article 1 Free and equal in dignity and right 50
Article. 2 Prohibition of discrimination 52
Article 3 Right to Life, Liberty, and Security 53
Article 4 Prohibition of Slavery 54
Article 5 Prohibition of Torture 56
Article 6 Right to Recognition as Person before the Law 57
Article 7 Equality before the Law 58
Article 8 Right to an Effective Remedy 59
Article 9 Prohibition of Arbitrary Arrest 59
Article 10 Right to a Fair Trial 61
Article 11 Presumption of Innocence and 62
no retroactive application of Penal Laws
Article 12 Right to Privacy 64
Article 13 Freedom of Movement exit and re-entry 65
Article 14 Right to Asylum 66
Article 15 Right to Nationality 67
Article 16 Right to Marry and Family Life 68
Article 17 Right to Property 69
Article 18 Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion 70
Article 19 Freedom of Opinion and Expression 71
Article 20 Freedom of Assembly and Association 71
Article 21 Participation in Government 72
Article 22 Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 73
Article 23 Right to Work 75
Article 24 Right to Rest and Leisure 76
Article 25 Right to an Adequate 77
Standard of Living and Health
Article 26 Right to Education 79
Article 27 Right to Culture 80
Article 28 Social and International Order 81
Article 29 Duties and Limitations 82
Article 30 No Abuse of Rights 84
6. Summary 84
7. Conclusion 85
8. Multiple Choice Questions 87
9. General Information 88
ANNEXURE
Suggestive Reading Materials
1. Books 88
2. Journals and Documents 89
3. Reference of Acknowledgement 90
FOREWORD
PREFACE
If faith in ourselves had been more extensively taught and practiced, I am sure a very
large portion of the evils and miseries that we have would have vanished.
The above statement of Swami Vivekananda carries the message that one should
always be truthful and benevolent to oneself, and to the community of humankind at
all times with devotion to discharge his/her duties which alone will enable generating
respect for humankind leading to a peaceful life. This is exactly what the nation-states
proposed to achieve by adopting the Charter of the UN, and later by the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights during the late forties. The adoption of these two major
documents, supplemented by a number of other international instruments asserts
restoration of the degraded system of values across the world.
In general, there has been ignorance about adhering to the compelling ethics of
international law of human rights both by the nation-states and the humanity as a
whole. The ignorance of promotion and practice of human rights have had its impact
in widening the gap between the rich and the poor, both in the international and
national spheres. The turn of events in the 70's and 80's have brought in horrendous
events of hunger, mass movements, genocide, racism, torture, human trafficking,
terrorism, infighting among individuals, corruption, discriminative practices on the
grounds of sex, language, religion, race, abuse of rights of weaker sections et.al. In
order to restore the confidence of people across various communities, and to reassure
the concepts of life, liberty, equality, peace and security, the international community
in 1993 at the World Conference on Human Rights at Vienna laid emphasis on
imparting the noble principles of human rights through education. Accordingly, in
1995, the General Assembly adopted a resolution, and declared the period 1995-2004
as the Decade of Human Rights Education followed by the present decade 2005-2014
as the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. The efforts of the UN and
the world community to restore peace and security, and to inculcate the normative
values of life, liberty, dignity, equality, justice, moral and ethical principles would
indeed bring in the desired results.
In tune with its commitment to promote values of peace and friendship, and to
develop harmonious relations, the UN had adopted a number of legal instruments,
highlighting the need to initiate action by nation-states at the international and
national level. Education alone being the important potential weapon to eliminate all
kinds of ignorance and to tap the inner knowledge inherited in humans, the UN and
the States chose to impart the values of human rights through education for
sustainable development of humanity. According to the guidelines and directions of
the UN, the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the UN drew a number of plans
to oversee that the Human Rights Education is imparted to all sections of the people
through school, college and university education, and mass based programmes
throughout the world are conducted with the aid and help of states and non-
governmental organizations.
The Government of India drew up its National Policy on Education announced
in 1968. The policy was revised under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Late
Shri Rajiv Gandhi who drew up a plan of action to impart knowledge about the
developments of scientific, technological, moral and ethical values through education
to eliminate illiteracy and other maladies of the society. Around the same time, the
UGC prepared a blue print for imparting Education on Human Rights and Duties at
the Universities and Colleges with the following objectives: (a) to develop interaction
between society and the educational institutions (b) to sensitize the citizens for the
norms and values of human rights and duties (c) to encourage research activities
related to human rights and (d) to encourage research studies concerning the
relationship between human rights and duties and International Humanitarian law.
It has further emphasized that such promotion is necessary to generate
awareness, conviction, and commitment to values for improving the quality of human
life which will in turn encourage Universities and Colleges to take steps for
dissemination of values and morals through Human Rights and Duties in different
modes. With this aim, the UGC provided funding for establishing Human Rights and
Duties Education centers in various Universities in the Country. However, due to lack
of active patronization by the stake holders, reluctance of the people to take part in the
activities of such centers, and lack of administrative and financial support by the
Universities, many centers in the country could not achieve the targets and some of
them even have been closed by the Universities.
In this background, the Government of India enacted the Human Rights Act in
1993 to develop respect for values of Human Rights and to Prevent the violations of
the Human Rights. This Act provided provisions to establish Human Rights
Commissions in every State. Apart from the protection mechanism, the Act has also
empowered the Human Rights Commissions to initiate necessary steps for the
propagation of Human Rights and Duties education through various means. In
August 2010, the State Human Rights Commission of Maharashtra conducted a one
day seminar on incorporation of human rights education on mass scale, to students of
elementary to University level. The seminar was graced by the highest level of state
dignitaries, His Excellency the Hon'ble Governor of Maharashtra, Shri. K.
Sankaranarayanan, and the Chief Minister, Mr. Ashok Chavan, Deputy Chief
Minister, Mr. Chhagan Bhujbal, Minister of Higher and Technical Education, Mr.
Rajesh Tope, and other Ministers and Secretaries of the State of Maharashtra. In order
to support the venture of the State Human Rights Commission, and to make the state
of Maharashtra, the first state in India to take lead in offering Human Rights and
Duties Education, University of Pune decided to introduce mandatory education in
Human rights in all its programmes. On behalf of the University, myself being the
academic head of the University in my capacity as the Vice Chancellor, along with
Professor W.N. Gade, the Director of BCUD and Dr.T.S.N.Sastry, Head of
Department of Law, prepared the Human Rights Education model and presented
before the august gathering. The presentation received wide spread appreciation.
University of Pune further made a firm commitment to promote Human Rights
Education by introducing a compulsory component on Human Rights and Duties for
all the students of University of Pune from the academic year 2011.
To work out the curriculum details of the Human Rights Education at University
of Pune, a Committee on Human Rights Education consisting of professors of various
departments of the University was constituted. Considering expertise and experience
in the fields of International Law and Human Rights, Dr.T.S.N.Sastry, Head of
Department of Law has been appointed as the coordinator of the project. Also the
Department of Law has been named as the coordinating centre of the project. Other
members who made significant contribution to the project are, Dr. W.N. Gade, Dr.
D.A. Patel, Dr. Manohar Jadhav, Dr. Sharmila Rege, Dr. A. N. Dalvi, Dr. (Captain)
C.M. Chitale, Dr. S.D. Dhole, Dr. B.A. Chopade, Dr. Raja Dixit, Dr. Dilip Dhawale,
Dr. N.R. Karmalkar, Dr. B.R. Shejwal, Dr. S. E. Bhelke, Dr. Y.M. Sumant, and Dr.
Vilas Kharat. After prolonged deliberations of the committee on various issues, it has
been unanimously accepted to offer three compulsory courses, one credit each at all
levels in the University of Pune. The proposal has been approved by all the decision
making bodies of the University and the implementation of the scheme will
commence from the academic year 2011-12. The three courses which will be taken by
all students of the university during their academic programme, are:
1) Introduction to Human Rights and Duties
2) Human Rights and Vulnerable Groups
3) Human Rights and Duties in India: Law, Policy, Society, and Enforcement
Mechanism
The present book is the text for the first course, 'Introduction to Human Rights
and Duties'.
The basic aim of the course is to introduce the students, the values and culture of
human rights, and to make them aware the benefits we get out of it by strict adherence
to tenets of them. The structure and presentation of the various concepts are made in a
simple manner largely without going into the theoretical intricacies that they innate
with them.
The material has been prepared and presented based on consultation of a
number of books, research articles from reputed international law and Human Rights
journals & Judical decisions and other allied subject journals, books published by the
UNESCO, National Book Trust of India, web pages such as Wikipedia, Stanford
University of Philosophy, etc. The photos presented in the book are mostly from the
various web pages of the United Nations, Google that tied up with the UN for the
Propagation of Human Rights Values, other regional organizations, and web pages of
a number of NGOs who are actively engaged in propagation of the ideals of human
rights.
The development of the course material is purely with an intention of inculcating
practices of Human Rights amongst the youths of the university and the authors have
no commercial motivation. A small amount of honorarium has been paid to each unit
writer as a token of appreciation. Moreover, the University being the publisher (mostly
in the e-format coupled with recorded lectures), the materials used, photos presented
in the work are within the permissible limit of copy right law for dissemination with an
acknowledgement. However, if any reference is missed out in the acknowledgement, it
may be due to over sight and not with any intention. We express our gratitude and
thanks to all whose work has been included in the course material for the propagation
of the ideals of the UN.
The material is prepared with utmost care and precision. However, this being a
maiden venture by a University for the first time in the country, any suggestion for the
improvement of the material in future versions is welcome.
His Excellency, the Hon'ble Governor of Maharashtra, Shri K.
Sankarnarayanan has been a constant source of inspiration in fulfillment of the
commitment made by the University. I am indebted to His Excellency for entrusting
this responsibility to University of Pune. I take this opportunity to thank all the
authorities of the University for their Cooperation and timely approvals for the
implementation of the programme. I also thank the Chairperson and Members of the
Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission for driving the idea of making the
State of Maharashtra, the first state in the country to fullfill the commitment made by
the Union of India to the international community. My thanks are also due to all the
Professors who participated in all the discussions and guided us to achieve the target.
Last but not the least, the entire book has been written by Dr.T.S.N.Sastry,
Professor and Head of the Department of Law, University of Pune in a short span of
time. I wish him all the success for the completion of the other two books and the audio
visual course material on time.
As per the state requirement, the programme will be conducted in English and
Marathi. The courses in English are generally meant for the Post Graduate
Departments and Professional courses of the University. The course will be offered in
Marathi for the Under Graduate programmes in the Colleges. The University also
intends to present the materials in video lecture format. The lectures will be
disseminated in the form of DVDs as well as through the Website of the University.
I hope the idea of propagation of human rights in university education will be
appreciated and emulated by other Universities and Institutes in the state, and in the
country.
I appeal to every student of the University as future torch bearers, to carry the
mantle of propagation and practice of human rights on their shoulders to overcome
the present day maladies of the country. This alone can establish the concept of social
justice in its true perspective as architected by the Constitution of India by the
legendary architect Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Dr. R.K. Shevgaonkar

Vice Chancellor, University of Pune
Date: 8.08.2011.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book has been written to meet the requirements of the Human Rights &
Duties Education Programme of the University. A great task of this nature cannot be
completed without the constant support of many people.I take this opportunity to
thank all of them sincerely.
Let me express my deep sense of gratitude to His Excellency, the Governor of
Maharashtra, and the Chancellor of the University, Shri K. Sankarnarayanan, for his
all round encouragement and commitment for the promotion of human rights
education. I express my sincere thanks for agreeing to write a forward.
I thank the Hon'ble Vice Chancellor Dr R.K. Shevgaonkar, who inspite of
being a technocrat, shown keen interest in the dissemination of the ideals of human
rights. The day he received the invitation from the State Human Rights Commission of
Maharashtra inviting educational institutions to involve in the propagation of Human
Rights in the State of Maharashtra, he decided to launch the programme of Human
Rights education as part of the University curricula to all its students. From July 2010,
immediately after few months of his joining in the University, the amount of time and
interest he has evinced in the implementation of the project is praise worthy. I sincerely
thank from the bottom of my heart for the trust, and providing the opportunity for me
to work as the coordinator of the project.
I extend my thanks to the Director of Board of College and University
development, Prof (Dr) W.N. Gade for his constant support all through, and his
valuable contribution at various stages in preparing the course and in its
implementation.
I also thank all the respective bodies of the University for extending their
support for the approval of the programme.
All the Professors of the Human Rights Education Committee of the
University and other members who extended their constant support through
discussions and suggestions in making the project a reality are appreciable. My sincere
gratitude is extended to one and all.
I thank the Chairman, Board of Studies, Faculty of Law, University of Pune,
Dr. S.R Bhosale, for all the encouragement and support.
I express thanks to Dr. D.A. Patel, Associate Professor, Department of Law for
spending long hours in the preparation of the syllabi, the book, and extending all the
material and moral support. I furthermore express my thanks to Dr. S.E, Bhelke, Head,
Department of Philosophy, University of Pune for all the support and going through
the script in the crystallization of philosophical concepts. I express my thanks to Ms.
Sonia Nagarale, Assistant Professor, Department of Law for her constant support and
help in all through. I thank Mr. Y.S.R. Murty, the Director of the Centre for Human
Rights, Jindal Global University, New Delhi, and the former Director of Research
NHRC for his efforts in going through the script and the suggestions rendered.
I extend my gratitude to Mr. Sadiq, A. J. Syed, acting Country Director, UN
Women, Afghanisthan, who took pains in delivering the lecture on the efforts of the
UN and India in the implementation of the Human Rights Education to the members
of the Human Rights Committee of the University and offering his valuable
suggestions. I also take this opportunity to thank my other colleagues and the non-
teaching staff members of the Department of Law for their cooperation. I also thank
my wife Smt. G.B.V. Anuradha and my two young daughters Anoosha and Medha for
being a moral support in completing the task as their cooperation without minding me
burning the midnight lamps for several weeks and not paying serious attention to my
domestic commitments.
I also thank my Ph.D. Scholar Fr. Peter Ladis F, Chanakya National Law
University, Patna for rendering the possible assistance whatever that was sought by me
in compiling this handbook.
I express my sincere thanks to European Commission, Dr. Sidsel Hansson
Project Director of Erasmus Mundus Exteranal Window Lot 13 India & Dr. Roger
Greatrex, Director Centre for East & South East Asian Studies, University of Lund for
all their assistance during my stay in Lund University, Sweden during July 2010 which
helped me to equipe myself in presenting research perspectives in human rights as a
part of my research trip.
I thank all the authors of the books, journals, articles and materials of various
organisations consulted and the web pages I browsed for the inspiration, in authoring
the materials in a lay man's perspective. Since the object of the book is to prepare the
text in a common man's perspective, the ideas and expressions of all the materials
consulted are presented here only for propagation and educational purposes. I thank
all other authorities and officers of the University and Mr. Dattatraya Kute, Manager,
and staff of the University Press in bringing out the book with due care and in record
time.
Last but not the least, this being the first time, the consulted material is used
carefully to crystallize into a book form and this book has been drafted with great care
and concern to make it easily understandable to everyone. However, if any unintended
errors have crept in, I express my due apologies and invite the comments and
suggestions for improvement in future.
Dr. T. S. N. Sastry
Professor & Head,
Department of Law and Coordinator of the
Human Rights Education Programme,
University of Pune
Date 09.08.2011
INTRODUCTION
This work is a culmination of the idea of propagation about the objectives of

Human Rights through education by the UN, Government of India and the State of
Maharashtra. According to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action of the
World Conference on Human Rights, 1993, the objectives of Human Rights could be
achieved mainly through Human Rights Education. These objectives are promotion
of stable and harmonious friendly relations among communities of the world for
fostering mutual understanding, tolerance and to establish peace. In order to achieve
this commitment, the UN declared the Decade 1995-2004, as the decade of Human
Rights Education which is followd by the present decade 2005-2014. Finally in
November 2012, the General assembly declared that human rights education is a life
long process to be imparted at every level of education across the world. Accordingly,
it chalked out an Action Plan for its implementation by the states at the national level.
The Government of India declared the same objective in its first education policy in
1968 itself. The State of Maharashtra is probably the first in the country, to launch
human rights teaching in a small way in the school curriculum. As these efforts have
not fully yielded the desired results, the University of Pune has taken the mantle on its
shoulders to render its share of service for the state and the nation as well. The present
work in your hands is part one of the series of the book under the project of Human
Rights Education for all the students of the University of Pune.
UNIT I
BASIC CONCEPTS
This Unit will briefly introduce the basic concepts of values and the linkage that they have
with human rights. These conceptual perspectives play a significant role for the promotion and
realization of human rights in any society. Values help to crystallize any legal action, and play a
very important role in the development of a society. The strict adherence of each of these values
not only helps in the realization of human rights but to establish the concept of one world as
envisaged by international law. This unit focuses in without much debate and discussion on the
theoretical perspective, the meaning of each one of the value. It briefly, highlights the significance
of human rights education. However, some of the concepts are dealt in detail in Unit II, while
explaining the origin and concept of right to the extent necessary.
Significance of Value
Value in general is a part of philosophy. Philosophy is one of the basic subjects
which deals with the basic problems of mankind. In its discourse, it deals with issues
such as existence, knowledge, values, reasons, mind, and language. It's theoretical
perspective developed by various theoreticians mainly based on a rational approach
with critical outlook. Basing on the parameters of value, a number of other aspects
developed to regulate the behavioral patterns of man. These values such as dignity,
liberty, equality justice, ethics, and morals et.al., have had their significant impact to
shape the human relations in a society. These philosophical concepts have a profound
impact on law.
The main aim and function of Law in any society is to regulate the relations
between men and to alleviate the intensity of conflicts to promote peace, security, good
and orderly behaviour of mankind to establish a conflict free society. This being the
main function of law, it absorbs all the essential tools from every field of study with a
critical outlook. This in turn will help to analyse each issue and lay norms to develop a
rational human mind to achieve maximum results in their inter-relationships with
each other. Since the concept of right and its exercise and regulation centered round
basing on a number of values developed from ancient to modern times, they have had a
great impact in the realization, promotion, and protection of human rights. In view of
the linkage and importance that values play a significant role in the promotion and
realization of human rights; the different concepts of values are examined in brief.
1
Human Values
"The value concept… [is] able to unify the apparently diverse interests of all the sciences
concerned with human behavior."……Rokeach.
The above view of the psychologist makes it clear, the concept of value and its
relationship with the behavioural pattern of individuals in a society. In general, we
think of values that are commonly followed by us in day to day life. These values vary
from person to person, depending on their experiences and circumstances in which
they grow. However, there are certain basic values which are common to all. They are
life, liberty, security, freedom, and success, security to life, kindness, pain and pleasure.
Depending on the circumstances, which each person grow up considers which value is
important to him. But adhering to values which are common to all, in the longer run
develop a society to establish peace for the progressive all round development of all the
sections of a society. This will help to learn to live with unity in diversity.
According to a number of scholars, conceptually values are beliefs which are
subjective in their exercise by each individual. Values motivate people to achieve their
goals. Values transcend time and territory and develop relationships and regulate the
behavioral patterns of individuals.
These being the central aspects of values, a number of scholars identified ten
basic values, which motivate and regulate the behavior of human beings in achieving
their goals. They are :
Self-destruction, which promotes an independent thought which results in a
m
judicious decision making process in creating or exploring the goal.
Stimulation creates excitement, novelty and challenges in life.
m
Hedonism (Self Satisfaction) brings in pleasure and sensuous gratification for
m
oneself.
Achievement demonstrates, the competence of individuals according to the
m
standards of society.
Power brings in social status and prestige, control over people, and resources.
m
Security brings in harmonious relationship between individuals, to guide the
m
society to establish a compatible environment for people to lead a life with
pleasure and groom their freedoms.
Conformity to social standards mainly regulates the behaviour of individuals,
m
2
Introduction to Human Rights & Duties
and prevent the wrong doing activities by individuals to themselves, and towards
one another in the society.
Tradition promotes the qualities of respect to the practices that are inherent in
m
society.
Religion promotes the innovation of knowledge and furtherance of values to the
m
achievement of peace and security. It teaches a happy sharing of the benefits that
are derived through the promotion of knowledge.
Benevolence establishes the belief, and enhances the qualities of welfare to
m
promote the interests of the individuals with whom each one interacts in their
day to day activities.
Lastly, universalism promotes the qualities of understanding, appreciation,
m
tolerance, and protection for the welfare of people. It takes care of developing
harmonious living, and to work for the benefit of advancement of scientific
knowledge, and to share the resources equally.
The philosophy of human rights is similar with that of the above values.
Therefore, values are one of the basic aspects of human rights. The strict adherence of
human rights restores not only to values, but also in turn able to achieve peace, security
and harmonious living community without any kind of discrimination that exist
between individuals and nation-states.
Dignity
Dignity is another value that regulates the behaviour of individuals. Dignity is a
relative term with regulatory nature. It prescribes the norms and ethical standards
needs to be followed and adopted.
In the day to day inter-relationships, individuals are expected to behave with one
another in a dignified and honest manner. This concept dictates that every one of us
has to exercise due caution and care in our relations without undermining the
capacities of other persons. Further, it teaches us not to create a situation wherein
others are made to undergo either emotional, psychological, physical, tense situations,
or to harm their personality.
Since dignity plays a vital role, in regulating the human relations and for the
furtherance of human rights, (especially, the basic rights of liberty, equality, and
freedom), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), in no uncertain terms
3
declared that all individuals are equal in the eye of law. All are deserves to be treated
with utmost respect without harming the dignity of others at all times. If people across
the world follow the ethical norm of dignity without any deviance, the realisation of
right would be easy. This fundamental norm applies to individuals and States to follow
with strict adherence. In the modern context though a number of conventions,
covenants, and declarations have been adopted in the international arena, to promote
human rights on the concept of dignity. The lack of adherence by individuals and
nation-states brought in untold sorrow, and miseries to mankind. The non adherence
to ethical values, especially, indecent behaviour of individuals at times, posing a
number of problems in the contemporary era. This in turn has an effect in the
promotion and realisation of human rights.
Liberty
Liberty is another concept which play a vital role in the promotion of human
rights. Liberty is an ancient concept. This concept has its roots in the political
philosophy. A number of philosophers like, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and many
more have articulated Liberty in different contexts. In simple terms, liberty means,
human beings are free to regulate their relations, and are able to govern their relations,
behave at their own will, and be responsible for their acts. The concept of liberty is
centred around responsibility or duty. Basing on the acts performed by individuals,
liberty can be enjoyed or achieved. If the acts are bad or performed with an intention
to defray anybody or deprive them of their legal claims, they not only affect the rights
of others, but also of their own in the long run. This in turn will have an effect on the
realisation of their rights.
The concept of liberty is the basics for the development of a right. According to
Hobbes, every individual is empowered to enjoy their freedoms freely without the
interference of any other person. In his social contract theory, he argued that the divine
will of kings to regulate the relations and to restrict the freedoms of individuals is
antithesis to liberty of individuals. The enlightenment of liberty by various political
and legal philosophers, led to a number of political revolutions across the world. This
in turn led to establish democratic societies on the basis of liberty of individuals to
choose their leaders.
In the contemporary era, the excessive arguments for liberty, and its
indiscriminate exercise without strict adherence to duty by individuals in their
4
numerous acts, again resulted in bringing miseries to the world. In order to resolve the
problems and to provide a problemfree world, the UN took a number of legal steps for
the promotion of human rights. The aim of these acts of UN is to regulate the
behaviour of the mankind and to guide them to discharge their duties to uplift the
moral and ethical values. This in turn will help to restore liberty in its true sense and
makes individuals to be happy for their legal and justified actions.
Apart from the above, it is the duty of
nation-states also to adhere to the principles
of international law and human rights in
their relations, respecting the concept of
liberty of the other nations and their citizens.
The Strict adherence to liberty and practice
of self restraint alone would yield the
desired results in protecting the rights of
every citizen as guaranteed by law.
Equality
Equality is another important component of human rights. From ancient to
modern times, people are fighting to achieve this in terms of its practical application to
each situation. In general, equality proposes to bring all the people into one category,
and apply the principles of law, and justice without any distinction, whatsoever it may
be among the individuals. Equality is a relative concept which may be distinguished
basing on a number of factors, and the enjoyment of rights on an equal footing. The
aim of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitutions of the
various countries including India are to treat all the people on an equal footing without
any kind of discrimination. This may be referred to formal equality, wherein in the
eyes of law all are equal.
Although, all people are numerically considered as equal in the eyes of law, in
providing the amenities or distribution of resources, all may not be considered or
treated as equal in reality. This is because of the socio, economic, political and cultural
conditions that prevail in each society. In order to uplift the people who are not equal
on any ground specified above, they need to be given certain concessions and facilities
to improve their status and to reach the equal status with that of others who are on a
high pedestal.
5
To achieve the rigour of equality and to
fill the gap especially on socio-economic, and
cultural g rounds, the principles of
international law of human rights provides for
the necessary concessions to be extended, to
people at the national level by states. This will
result in to achieve the status of equality of all
in the eye of law. Once they achieve the equal
status in all respects, the concessions extended
to specific group of people to uplift their status, may be withdrawn by the state. The
same principle applies to states at the International level. Accordingly the developed
states need to extend concessions to the developing states.
Justice
Justice in simple terms may be defined as righteousness,
fair and to be treated on just and equitable grounds. Justice is an
important concept which has attracted a number of fields
especially, law and philosophy. To achieve absolute justice,
scholars have prescribed a number of factors. Basing on the
various factors that are relevant to each society, and to fill the
gap between unequals and equals, from ancient to modern
times, a number of scholars have advocated various theories to
achieve the concept of justice. In order to measure the concept
of Justice, a number of tools are required. To achieve perfect justice, it lays its emphasis
on concepts of equality, morality and ethics. The aim of human rights is to provide
such stable conditions to everyone by the states, which alone could help to achieve the
rights in a justiciable manner. According to Plato, Justice being the highest value, and
to attain it, an individual has to be provided with all the necessary conditions to realise
the right, and to discharge his duties towards society. It again lay emphasis on the
actors and the state as well to discharge every single obligation with devotion of duty
and respect for other values.
6
Ethics and Morals

Ethics and Morals are considered as equal concepts. However, there exists a
subtle difference between these two. Morals deal with the personal character of an
individual. On the other hand, Ethics lays its importance on a social system, which
regulates the code of conduct of a group of individuals. In other words, the morals
need to be applied in each society depending on the values that are acceptable by a
society. From the perspective of human rights, the concept of freedom and liberty
being basic principles forms part of moral principles. The concept of Justice, Equality
and the participation of individuals in the socio-cultural aspects of the community are
ethical aspects. Accordingly, every human being in a society is responsible at all times
to strive to achieve human rights as a moral or ethical subject of society.
Value is the central issue of ethics. Ethics is a normative science of human
conduct in society, which differentiates between right and wrong, good or bad, proper
or improper. The standard, which makes one to differentiate good from bad or right
from wrong, is a value. Ethics with reference to human rights presupposes freedom as a
necessary pre-condition. A free man can take his decision of action and such a decision
can be evaluated as good or bad, right or wrong, proper or improper. Goodness is the
highest of value. Goodness is objective, universal and rational. Some basic values are:
courage, tolerance, benevolence, kindness and friendship. Values are instrumental or
absolute, intrinsic or extrinsic.
Values provide a standard to decide that an action is good. The basic issues of
ethics/moral philosophy are: freedom, duty, rights, responsibility, happiness and
goodness. Values are based on common or social consent. They are shared by all in the
society.
The above brief discussion of the various concepts, highlight the significance
that human rights can never be achieved in toto until and unless, we the people of the
United Nations (which includes the nation-states), discharge the responsibilities with
utmost sincerity. This in turn enables us to achieve, universalization of human rights
without any kind of deviation to race, sex, language, religion, region, etc. This leads
one to learn how to live in a diversified world, more particularly in the contemporary
era of fourth phase of globalization, wherein the concept of unity in diversity assumes
greater significance than in yester years.
7
Unity in Diversity
Unity in diversity in general means, people of different backgrounds basing on
their socio-economical, politico-cultural perspectives have to live like a single family.
This means, the different faiths and characters that people posses have to live in a
compatible manner under a single legal roof governed by a State. The same is
applicable to people around the world, and the nation-states learn to live as one
community. This being the main aim of international law to establish a one world
concept, it had given birth to human rights. Its aim is to achieve, the aspirations of
profoundly divided humanity by setting a common standard of norms for all people
and all nations. To accomplish the one world concept, the mankind has a responsibility
to learn to live harmoniously. Further, it will enable us to achieve the basic tenets of
life, liberty, equality, dignity and freedom of thought and expression with due care and
caution to promote the rights of all the people living in different political systems. This
will in turn enable us to claim legitimately the protection extended by human rights.
And, to justify the existence of man as a human kind living under different political
regions. It will help further, to establish the fundamental goal of United Nations to
resolve innumerable problems that are
haunting us both nationally and
internationally. Nearer home, the concept
of 'vasudhaiva kutumbakam', in the Indian
context advocates the same ideology of
living together of mankind with values and
morals, which alone ultimately establish a
conflict free society.
Meaning and Significance of Human Rights Education

Education should encompass values such as peace, non-discrimination, equality,
justice, non-violence, tolerance, to live in peace and security and respect for human
dignity. These objectives can be achieved only through imparting human rights
education, which is an integral part of right to education. Human Rights and Duties
Education helps in achieving a comprehensive growth of every society.
According to the UN decade document for human rights education (1995-2004),
human rights education means, “a lifelong process by which people at all levels of
development and in all strata of society learn respect for the dignity of others and
the means and methods of ensuring that respect in all societies.”
8
From the above definition, it is clear that people living in any society have to
discharge their duties with utmost sincerity at all times without any deviation. Such
practices will promote the freedoms of all and could transform a society to achieve its
objectives. This being the concern of human rights education, impartation of it results
in, to achieving the principles of democracy, rule of law, and social justice. Further, it
will help to establish peace and security. It further enables us to achieve an all round
socio-economic, political, and cultural sustainability.
Objectives of Human Rights Education

Human Rights Education promotes respect for human rights of all individuals.
m
It develops the knowledge, skills, and values of human rights.
m
It develops the socio-psychological, human personality.
m
It helps people and policy makers to evolve the ways and means to overcome the
m
problems of each nation and that of the International Community.
It helps to foster understanding, tolerance, gender equality and
m
Develops friendship among all nations and eliminates racial, ethnic, religious,
m
and linguistic differences.
A number of models are developed to impart the above values of human rights
education. Among the various models, the following three considered as the vital ones,
to achieve the aims and objectives of human rights.
1. Values and Awareness Model: This model focuses on transmitting basic
knowledge of human rights and to foster the integration into public values
through a curriculum of educational institutions.
2. Accountability Model: This model focuses on the ways in which
professional responsibilities to inculcate directly monitoring human rights
violations and advocating the authorities to protect the rights of the people.
3. Transformational Model: This model aims to empower the individuals in
order to recognize the abuses of human rights and their prevention.
These being the core concepts of human rights education, the UN has framed
guidelines to propagate human rights through various methods and means both in the
International and the National levels.
Summary:
9
Value being an important aspect of life, it forms part of Law and Society. Value
¦
being a central point regulates the relations between individuals; scholars have
identified number of points. By adhering to these points, an individual can
achieve the goals in life.
Dignity being another aspect of value regulates the behaviour of individuals.
¦
The human relations and the exercise of human rights depend on the dignity, is
the most important aspect in the basic rights of liberty, equality and freedom.
The entire human rights law has been developed basing on these aspects.
Liberty is another important concept. According to various scholars, duty alone
¦
protects the concept of liberty. It is this concept that has given a basis for right. If
liberty is not exercised properly, it will result in upsetting the applecart of rights.
Equality is an important component of human rights. Equality proposes to bring
¦
in all people under one category. Any kind of inequalities are in existence, it is for
the States to eliminate them through a legal mechanism. This will result into a
classless society.
The aim of human rights is to do justice to every individual. In order to achieve
¦
perfect justice, all the qualities of human kind and the values need to be followed
by every individual to achieve the realistic concept of justice.
Ethics deals with personal character of individuals. Morals lay emphasis on the
¦
social system. The strict adherence of ethical practices alone makes a society
healthy which in turn could help the people to realise their human rights.
There exist a number of differences between various individuals in a society.
¦
However, obedience to human rights will result in living together with unity in
diversity among the individuals. The outcome of it will bridge the gap between
nation-states and to establish the concept of one world.
Human Rights Education teaches us the practice of various values to be adhered.
¦
At the same time, the knowledge of it, transforms individuals accountable for
their acts either at personal level or societal level. The knowledge of human
rights would also lead us to establish an orderly, peaceful, and friendly society
both at the international and national spheres.
10
Model Questions
Write only one Word answer to the questions
1. Which subject in general deals with values?
(A) Philosophy
2. What does dignity conveys?
(A) A Decent behaviour
3. Which concept gave the basis for right?
(A) Liberty
4. Ethics deals with what aspect ?
(A) Personal character
5. Human Rights Education is………….
(A) life Long Process
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What does Unity in Diversity exactly means?
(A)Single family (B) living together with differences (C) a place for everyone
(D) living together with respect to every one's recognised dignified practices
2. What is advocated by Ethical Values?
(A)Social system (B) compassionate living (C) Devotional living (D) Rule
making
3. What is the main aim of Human Rights?
(A) To teach Morals and ethics (B) to develop friendly relations (C) to make
people sensible (D) to establish peace, security and one world
4. Values Model is part of which of the basic concept?
(A) Dignity (B) Human Rights Education (C) Liberty (D) Justice
Answer : (1) D (2) A (3) D (4) B
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UNIT II
Perspective of Rights and Duties

This Unit will briefly summarize the meaning of rights and their importance and the
conceptual perspective in brief. It will examine the relationship between rights and duties and the
values that bind on the individual in discharging their duties towards one another in a civilized
society.
(A) Rights
Etymology of `right':
The word which we use in the modern English terminology has its origin from the
old English right or reht. In the early periods, it had been used with different
nomenclatures in various languages across the World. Accordingly, it has gained a
number of meanings, depending on the situation with a wide variety of expressions. In
the language of law, they are moral, ethical entitlements which need to be conferred and
exercised as framed by an authority of law.
Basing on the different expressions, there exist a considerable debate in the
academic circles, especially in the fields like, Political Science, Philosophy,
Anthropology, and Law about the foundation, meaning, and function of right in
different contexts. Before discussing the various types of rights, a simplified meaning
and analysis is provided here for an easy understanding of various facets of a right.
Meaning of a Right:
From a historical point of view, `right' in its objective sense is described as right or
just actions that individuals have to discharge to maintain harmonious relationships
between themselves. In the modern or subjective sense, its definition is long and
divisive. Whatever may be the controversy, and scholarly discussion that surrounds the
historical origins, and the different meanings that `Right' has, in general rights mean- a
legal sanction or normative value.
Analysis of Right :
In its analytical perspective, “right” has two parts (form and function). One is
the internal structure of right (their form); and the other is what rights do for those who
hold them (function). Accordingly, right is a combination of claim and duty. This
12
means a right confers certain liberties or privileges and imposes duties upon
individuals to exercise while claiming their rights. A number of jurists define the
concept of exercise of rights with duty as positive and negative rights. Accordingly,
the person who is possessive of positive rights entitled to provision of some goods or
services. A holder of negative right is entitled to non-interference. In the eyes of law,
Right confers on a person certain amount of liberties and privileges. At the same time
impose obligations to discharge. Furthermore, possessing a right should also enable a
person to exercise it. This part of empowerment mechanism could be achieved only
by imparting the values of human rights education.
However, basing on the common usage of the term philosophers and political
analysts in subjects like philosophy,
politics, law and logic et.al., have defined A FREE HUMAN
the rights in a number of categories.
Accordingly, rights may be broadly
NATURAL RIGHTS [Law]
defined as 1) Natural Rights; 2) Legal
Rights; 3) Claim rights; 4) Liberty
Rights; 5) Positive Rights; 6) Negative Life free will/Liberty Freedom [Principles]
Rights; 7) Individual Rights and 8)
Group Rights.
Natural Rights:
The concept of Natural rights is closely associated with the philosophy or theory
of Natural law. According to this theory, nature or God alone regulates the wisdom
and the activities of men. The kings being the divine origin, as representatives of God,
the rules framed by them were considered divine in nature. But in the age of
enlightenment ( or Age of Reason) of the eighteenth century a number of Western
advocators like, Hobbes, Locke, Hugo Grotius, Rousseau, Samuel Pufendorf, et.al.,
challenged the origin of divine concept to natural law.
A natural right is nothing but, rights based on just, fair and reasonable. This
means, the individuals unite themselves to form political societies through mutual
consent, and agree to form a government of their own. It will enable them to lead their
life through common rules and regulations framed by either them or their
representatives. At the same time, they accept a set of legal and moral duties to be
observed or bound by them in the exercise of their rights in order to live in peace and
security without any violence.
13
However, this being the central philosophy advocated by all philosophers of
natural law, there is a difference of opinion that exists among them. A section of
modern naturalists argue that since human rights are closely associated with the
concept of natural rights, there exist no difference between natural and human rights;
FOUNDING FATHERS
GOD RIGHTS
INDIVIDUALIST
CITY/STATE
FEDERAL
INDIVIDUALIST VIEW
both are one and the same. But some traditionalists argue that since natural rights are
not framed by men and are the dictates of right of reason of nature, both cannot be
equated. According to them, since natural rights are being above the power of any
authority either state or international bodies, and are universal in nature, they cannot
be equated with human rights, because they are adapted by human society through an
international body and not of divine origin.
A close examination of both the above pictures clearly explains the theoretical
differences. In a simple manner, natural rights essentially are the Life, Liberty and
Freedom that an individual possess and the way to live without any disturbance or
interference by others. Accordingly, by birth, the rights are inherited with the body of
the individual as the gifts of God or nature. Hence, they are inherent or inalienable
rights.
The second picture explains the arguments of the modern natural philosophers'
view that though a human being is born with free will, as a social animal one has to
have minimal limitations in the exercise of their natural rights. Because, man himself
created the modern concept of state, they have to adhere to the laws framed by the
state, so as not to disturb the rights of others. These rights are otherwise referred to as
Legal Rights that are sanctioned by the authority of law which entitles a claim to an
individual to have his rights enforced legally.
Legal Rights:
Legal Rights means, rights that are guaranteed to citizens of a country by law to
enjoy certain freedoms without any fear or favour. Legal rights also referred to as
statutory rights, bestowed by a particular government to the governed and are relative
14
to specific cultures and governments. These rights are enumerated or codified into
legal statutes by a legislative body. These rights may differ from country to country
depending upon the constitution and culture that they adopted. Nevertheless, at the
same time legal rights impose an obligation on other people not to exceed the
prescribed limits of law.
Claim Rights and Liberty Rights

Claim rights means, the rights that impose an obligation on another person to
respect the right of the other person. Liberty rights means, rights that are to be
exercised at free will by the holder of rights, without any obligation on another person
in exercise of his/her right.
For example, a person has liberty to speak freely as he likes, is a liberty right. But
at the same time, if it affects the rights or hurts the reputation of another person, then it
turns into a claim right.
Positive And Negative Rights

A section of philosophers drew a distinction, which is thin and narrow between
positive and negative rights. Positive rights means, rights for which a person is expected
to discharge some service or to do good independently or to the society as a whole.
Negative rights impose an obligation on others not to interfere with the liberty or
independence of another holder of rights. In the language of law since both rights are
passive rights, it is difficult always to classify these rights in a strict sense. The Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) has both the characteristics of Positive and
Negative rights. Many scholars argue that since there is a co-existence between the two
concepts; a distinction is not necessary.
Examples for Positive Rights: These rights normally impose duty either on the
state or on society or a group of individuals in satisfying the claims of owners of rights,
(for example) Right to Education, Right to Health, Social Security etc. In the Indian
context these are described as the Directive Principles of State Policy under the
Constitution of India. It is not easy to achieve this category of rights as they depend on
various factors including the resources. These rights are referred as Economic, Social
and Cultural rights in the language of human rights.
Negative Rights Examples: The rights normally impose a duty on every
individual as a moral and legal obligation to refrain from causing injury to the exercise
15
of the right of other person. Right to freedom of speech and expression, right to life
and liberty, right to equality, right to property, right to be heard right to speedy trial and
justice, right to worship, freedom of religion, right to legal remedy etc. are referred to as
Civil and Political Rights in the UDHR.
Individual and Group Rights

Individual rights mean the rights that belong to an individual alone. These rights
are mainly political, economic, or legal in nature. These rights can be exercisable by
individuals to enjoy their life and liberty without any interference of anybody
including the state. However, the individual rights have positive and negative elements.
Positive element obligates a person to discharge the right according to law. The
negative element prohibits any act that is not permitted by law.
Group Rights means rights that are enjoyed by a group and as well as
individually. For example, the rights of disabled persons are considered as group
rights. They promote the rights of the disabled as a group. At the same time, an
individual disabled person also could claim the rights independently of the group.
From the above brief discussion, a right may be defined as something that one
possess to exercise either naturally, legally, or socially with a moral/legal duty to act
without violating the right of others. Accordingly, a right has five elements in it. They
are:
1. A right holder ( which the subject of a right) has claim to
2. Some substance of it ( the object of right)
3. Which he or she may assert, demand, enjoy or enforce (exercising a right)
4. Against some individual or group ( the bearer of the correlative duty)
5. Citing in support of his or her claim on some particular ground (the justification
of a right)
To exercise a right at least two persons are necessary and the claim that they want to
exercise should have a legal basis to justify in the eyes of law.
Universal Rights
Universal rights means rights that every individual would able to exercise their
freedoms irrespective of their country of origin, residence freely without any
interference by the state or any other person subject to legal limitations. These rights
16
promote the dignity and the worth of an individual at all times. Hence, they impose
obligations on every state to protect and promote the dignity and the freedom of
individuals without any discrimination as to race, sex, language, or religion. Since
these rights are the minimal in the life of an individual, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the
former President of USA in his joint address to the US Congress on January 6,1941
advocated freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from fear and freedom
from want as the basic principles for the worth and dignity of an individual.
Basing on the above principles, the ideology of freedom of the individual
advocated for many centuries. The United Nations in its Charter adopted on October
24, 1945 recognized human rights as a part and parcel of international law.
Accordingly, the concept of human rights took their birth in international law. They in
turn impose an obligation on every state to promote them without any discrimination.
These rights have been further elaborated through the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights adopted on December 10, 1948. Though there exists a difference of
opinion about the Universality of human rights between political philosophers and
scholars of international law, in view of their wide acceptance by 193 member states of
the United Nations, they are no doubt constituted as universal rights.
A right is that which a man demands from others justifiability. A responsibility is
that which makes a man accountable to his actions and consequences of his actions
and conduct. A right can be moral, ethical, legal or social or cultural. Rights are treated
as moral when they are natural i.e. enhance the existence. A rational right is justifiable
and not emotive. A right has to be based on reasons and it has to be always general.
(B) Nature and Concept of Duties

Definitional differences between Obligation and Duty
The word obligation commonly refers to as a synonym of duty or vice-versa.
However, strictly speaking there exists a difference between the two. According to H.L.A.
Hart, duty and obligation are distinct to each other. A right exists without any
correspondence to an obligation incurred or created, at times. Whereas duty arises from
position, status, role. This means every time a duty has a connection with the position of
person, which is linked with right. Hence, an obligation may not correspond to a duty at
all times. It is only usage or practice of referring to right as a synonym of duty. In the eyes
of law they are different, and especially in the area of rights.
17
The above distinction is described by a simple example :
A invited his friend X to a dinner party. X promised him that he would attend
without fail. However, X did not attend the party. In this case, X has an obligation to go
to the dinner party. But by not attending, he has not either violated or breached the
right of A.
If a person occupies a job in an office or an organization he has, a duty to
discharge all the legal work associated with the job, whether he likes it or not.
One may wonder why then the concept of obligation and duty are referred to as
synonyms. This may be due to the fact that political, social, or moral obligations need
to be fulfilled or discharged, which are moral in character are also considered as duties
many a times.
For example, a person should not tell a lie at any point of time. However, in a
given circumstance by revealing a truth, which may affect the life of a person, he may
tell a lie, though he has a duty to speak the truth. Due to this type of interchanges
between laws that are moral and legal, the word duty is equivalent to òbligation' or
òught'. On this point, there exists a vast literature in both philosophy and legal fields.
The skeletal difference that exists between the two was analysed in the ancient
philosophy of India on the basis of Dharma, which encompasses both moral and legal
duties to be discharged by all without any deviance.
Concept of Duty
As discussed above, normally, duty is linked with òbligation'. The concept of
duty arises from fulfillment of a requirement. Duties arise in several ways and means,
such as moral duties, legal duties, parental duties, societal duties, and civil duties etc.
However, from the point of view of law, duties arise from legal norms or requirements.
They have to be discharged, the way it was prescribed. Accordingly, the actions
constitute as right or wrong basing on the discharge of duty. If one acts contrary to a
duty, it constitutes a wrong. (For example, a legal norm tells us not to speak ill of others
which will affect their decency, if speaks ill of others, it constitutes as wrong.). A duty
imposes an obligation to respect the rights of others and the society. Hence, rights and
duties are reciprocal. A right is demand and a duty is an expectation.
18
The different types of duties

Duties may be distinguished between (1) natural and acquired duties, (2) positive
and negative duties, (3) perfect and imperfect duties and (4) prima facie and all things
considered as duties.
(A) Natural and Acquired Duties
Natural duties bind all of us without any specification by any institution or body.
Each one of us discharge these duties voluntarily. For example: not to harm others,
not to tell lies, not to misuse the freedoms, duty to respect others, not to injure the
innocent, not to beat children, to uphold truth and justice, etc.
Acquired duties are duties undertaken by individuals by virtue of something
they have done, or as a particular relationship, which they might have with others.
This means, certain duties are legal, and need to perform the acquired obligations
basing on one's willingness. If refused to perform after consented to discharge, it
attracts legal consequences.
Another type of acquired duties results from special relationships that
individuals undertake as groups, often referred to as responsibilities. For example,
parents discharging their duties towards their children, doctors to patients, and lawyers
to their clients. These duties assumed by individuals to exercise automatically by
accepting to act in a specific role.
(B) Positive and Negative Duties
According to another legal jurist John Rawls, positive duties require us to do
good. On the other hand, negative duties impose restrictions on doing bad or refraining
from acting. Helping the poor may be a positive duty, which may not have any
obligation. However, not to tell lies or not to harm others is a negative duty, which
imposes an obligation.
(C) Perfect and Imperfect Duties
Perfect and Imperfect duties appear similar to that of the positive and negative
duties. According to Prof Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher, they are not similar.
Perfect duties expect individuals to discharge the incurred obligations as per the goal
that is set at all times without any deviation. Imperfect duties have no rigidity.
Imperfect duties are duties that are never completed in its true spirit. The performance
of these duties depends on circumstances. According to Kant, it is difficult to cultivate
one's own talent is an example for imperfect duty.
19
(D) Prima facie and all things considered duties
According to W. D. Ross, people mostly discharge their duties to live up to their
promises as a goodwill. This means, many a times people perform their duties basing
on the advantages and disadvantages. This being the primary concept of duty, Ross
calls individuals to be rational in discharging their duties in a proper manner without
harming the interests of others.
Human Rights have the above duty perceptions in its philosophy. To eradicate
the present day maladies, and to improve the moral and ethical standards among
individuals as beneficiaries and defenders of human rights, we have to discharge the
duties advocated by human rights sincerely.
In this regard, the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights while celebrating
the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in
1998 in the city of Valencia in Spain under the auspices of UNESCO adopted a
Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society
to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms. It is also known as Valencia Declaration of Responsibilities and Human Duties.
The shifting of formal equality to substantial equality and the continuous
violations of human rights by the actors (both the states and individuals) across the
World, a number of Noble Laureates and scholars requested the UN to adopt a
declaration highlighting the duties of mankind. In order to provide a legal base for the
declaration, the General Assembly adopted a declaration on Responsibilities and
duties of mankind in 1999.
The Principles of the Declaration summarized into different heads as follows:
Rights and protections accorded to human rights defenders
The Declaration provides specific protections to human rights defenders,
including the rights:
To seek the protection and realization of human rights at the national and
m
international levels;
To conduct human rights work individually and in association with others;
m
To form associations and non-governmental organizations;
m
To meet or assemble peacefully;
m
To seek, obtain, receive and hold information relating to human rights;
m
20
To develop and discuss new human rights ideas and principles and to advocate
m
their acceptance;
To submit to governmental bodies and agencies and organizations concerned
m
with public affairs criticism, and proposals for improving their functioning, and
to draw attention to any aspect of their work that may impede the realization of
human rights;
To make complaints about official policies and acts relating to human rights and
m
to have such complaints reviewed;
To offer and provide professionally qualified legal assistance or other advice and
m
assistance in defence of human rights;
To attend public hearings, proceedings and trials in order to assess their
m
compliance with national law and international human rights obligations;
To unhindered access to and communication with non-governmental and
m
intergovernmental organizations;
To benefit from an effective remedy;
m
To the lawful exercise of the occupation or profession of human rights defender;
m
To effective protection under national law in reacting against or opposing,
m
through peaceful means, acts or omissions attributable to the State that result in
violations of human rights;
To solicit, receive and utilize resources for protecting human rights (including the
m
receipt of funds from abroad).
The Duties of States

According to the Declaration, States have a general responsibility to implement
and respect all the provisions of the Declaration. However, some of the provisions
make particular reference to the role of States and indicate that each State has a
responsibility and duty:
To protect, promote and implement all human rights;
m
To ensure that all persons under its jurisdiction are able to enjoy all social,
m
economic, political and other rights and freedoms in practice;
21
To adopt such legislative, administrative and other steps as may be necessary to
m
ensure effective implementation of rights and freedoms;
To provide an effective remedy for persons who claim to have been victims of a
m
human rights violation;
To conduct prompt and impartial investigations of alleged violations of human
m
rights;
To take all necessary measures to ensure the protection of everyone against any
m
violence, threats, retaliation, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other
arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights
referred to, in the Declaration;
To promote public understanding of civil, political, economic, social and
m
cultural rights;
To ensure and support the creation and development of independent national
m
institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, such as
Ombudsmen or Human Rights Commissions;
To promote and facilitate the teaching of human rights at all levels of formal
m
education and professional training.
The Responsibilities of Everyone

The Declaration emphasizes that everyone has duties towards others and within
the community and encourages us, all to be human rights defenders. It is the duty of
every one of us to promote human rights, to safeguard democracy and its institutions
and not to violate the human rights of others. It further emphasizes the role of
professionals and practitioners, especially that of Police officers, Lawyers and Judges
as defenders of the Human Rights.
The Role of National Law

The resolution also imposes a responsibility on the states to implement these
principles and promote them by adopting appropriate legislations. Accordingly, each
country is responsible to enact appropriate legislation to incorporate the duties of the
citizens. The Indian Constitution has already incorporated the duties through the
42nd Amendment Act in 1976, well in advance before the adoption of the Declaration.
22
The Valencia declaration is a significant one in the annals of human duties for
the promotion of human rights and protection by all the actors. The Final Version of
the Declaration is available at (tercermilenio@valenciatercermilenio.org and
http://www.valenciatercermilenio.org)
Impact of Duty on the Society

Every individual has duties towards the society or state. According to the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the duties of each person towards the State
are:
To obey the law and other legal commands of the state and its agencies in a
m
country.
To render the services in civil and military affairs whenever required by the state
m
for its defense.
To cooperate with the state and the community with respect to social security
m
and welfare to the extent possible.
To pay the taxes established by law for public purposes.
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To Protect the property and culture of the state.
m
Not to discriminate or advocate anything on communal, linguistic and religious
m
or any other ground that affect the liberty of other individuals.
The duties towards society are:

To respect the women, children, wounded, sick, and elderly persons.
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Rendering charitable work through social service, education, religious activities,
m
cultural activities etc.
To respect the rights and responsibilities of others.
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Not to make false allegations or complaints against others.
m
Not to misuse the laws and regulations.
m
Not to discriminate or advocate anything on communal, linguistic and religious
m
or any other ground that affect the liberty of other individuals.
To follow and obey the moral and ethical values that belongs to each society.
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23
There are innumerable duties that an individual has towards state and the
society. The above stated few are only illustrative in nature. The strict adherence of the
duties prescribed by each state and society alone contributes for the sustainable
development. In the modern context, many people think of their rights without
acknowledging that they have a duty to protect the rights of others. This degradation
of duty perspective has brought in a number of upheavals in the contemporary area. If
people are duty conscious, automatically the country and its institutions also follow
the duties without any deviance. The sincere practice of duties and exercise of rights
certainly will create a society or state that is tension and problem free.
Duty as a value
(Please read Unit I, and link the concepts
of value with duty.) Actions of an individual
are based on choices and behaviour, duty being
one of the main components of value system, it
inculcates a number of values in individuals.
As we have examined above the number of
duties and rights, and their relationship, duty
certainly constitute as a core value to regulate
the moral, ethical, and social behavior of
individuals. From ancient to modern times,
a number of scriptures, statesmen, and religious texts of various faiths have advocated
duty based value system, to regulate unnecessary temperaments of individuals and to
promote a healthy society or state. Hence, discharge of our moral and legal duties
alone could bring in harmony and helps to realise the guarantees of human rights fully
in promoting life, liberty, and equality.
Accordingly reposing its faith on duties, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights through Article, 29 (2) clearly impose duties of public and moral character to be
exercised by individuals before claiming their rights and freedoms for the promotion
of a welfare state or society. The Article is restated below:
“In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject to such
limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and
respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of
morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.”
24
The above brief discussion clearly signifies that duty constitute the first basic
value of an individual to be exercised at all times without any deviation before
expecting the rights to be protected or realised.
The above picture was developed by the Sathya Sai Insitute to inculcate human
values to youth. The aim of the picture is to develop the necessity of interdependence
and to highlight the significance of duties that every individual possesses to
themselves, to others and to society or country.
Inter Relationship between Rights and Duties

The two phrases `rights' and `duties' co-exist with each other. In other words, the
rights and duties are two sides of the same coin, to regulate the values and behavioral
patterns of an individual. On one side, rights are important in developing the human
personality and behavior. The duties on the other hand, direct the individuals
importance of their contribution for the promotion of social good. In a way duty
targets at the realization of rights guaranteed by various laws and regulations both
nationally and internationally. The same philosophy applies to states also to discharge
their duties towards their citizens. The increasing number of violations by states in
protecting the rights of the individuals across the World has led the United Nations
and other organs of the world community including the civil societies to focus more on
the duties than on the rights in the contemporary era.
According to Prof Harold J. Laski the inter relationship between rights and a
duties are as follows:
(a) One's right implies the other's duty.
This means every right of an individual automatically impose a duty on
others. For example, the right to freedom to move freely or privacy impose
a duty on others not to interfere with the right of movement or privacy of
any body, except regulated by law.
(b) One's right implies one's duty to recognise similar rights of others.
This implies that every exercise of right is subject to restrictions. For
example, one has freedom of speech and expression. However, at the same
time, everyone has to bear in mind that the exercise of free speech and
expression in no way affects the rights of others or their life, liberty or
dignity of others.
25
(c) One should exercise his rights for the promotion of social good.
If any person tries to misuse the rights, which affect the rights of others or
of the society or state, the Government has a duty to take appropriate legal
action to prevent such acts. For example, if a person tries to abuse his right
to freedom of speech and expression by indulging in spreading wrong
aspects about a section of people or of a particular religion, the state can
take legal action. Any such action by the state is justified.
(d) As the State guarantees and protects the rights of everybody, one has a
duty to support the State.
State being a nucleus organ need to take care of the social and legal
interests of all the individuals. It is normally expected by everyone as
stated above, to support the state in all its legal endeavours.
The above discussion in this unit clearly brings out the significance and the types
of rights that individuals possess in a society. It also focuses on the importance of
duties and the inter-relationship that exist between the two.
Summary:
(A) Rights
Rights have different meanings. However, in the eyes of law they are legal and
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moral entitlements, which need to be adhered by everyone.
Right has a legal sanction. Violation of it attracts legal action.
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Natural rights guarantees certain fundamental rights to enjoy freely by birth as
m
human being.
Law accords legal rights to individuals to enjoy their rights freely without any
m
interference subject to limitations of law.
Claim rights means, a person who can seek a legal remedy for the prevention of
m
its violation by others.
Liberty rights are rights freely exercisable by every individual without a sanction
m
or duty on other person. For example Laughing and practicing a religious act
Positive rights are rights otherwise described as dependent rights, which may be
m
exercised, on their guarantee by state or society. These are described as
Economic, Social and cultural rights.
26
Negative rights, which impose a duty on a person to respect the right of another
m
person. These rights are civil and political rights.
Individual rights are economic, political, and legal. They belong to individuals to
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enjoy their freedom and liberty they want to exercise.
Group rights are rights that belong to particular group of people in a society.
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They may often differ from the general rights of others in the society due to
particular significance given to them.
Universal Rights are rights that belong to people across the World without any
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difference as to race, sex, religion, language, or any other social, economic,
political, or legal affinity.
(B) Duties
There exist a difference between obligation and duty. Obligation arises mostly
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from ethical and moral perspective. Duty arises out of responsibility, which is
legal in nature.
Natural Duties bind on all of us. Acquired duties are accepted by discharging a
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particular duty.
Positive duties imposes obligations to do good. Negative duties prevent us from
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doing bad things.
Perfect duties expect us to be sincere at all times while discharging any duty.
m
Individuals have duties towards state, society and to themselves and to their
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family.
Duty is a value that dictates individuals to perform their moral and legal
m
responsibilities at all times for the promotion of good to society and to
individuals.
Rights and duties have an inseparable relationship. Adhering to duties is nothing
m
but adhering oneself to be dutiful and doing well to society and state.
27
Model Questions
Write only one word/sentence answer to the questions
1. What is root word of `Right'?
(A) From the English word `reht'
2. In the modern sense the definition of right is – -------
(A) Long and Decisive
3. Rights can be divided into how many categories?
(A) Eight
4. Duty signifies ------------
(A) Legal obligation
5. Duty as a value promotes ----------------
(A) Good to society and to individuals
Model II
1. What entitlement will be there for a negative right holder?
(A) Positive thinking (B) Non-interference (C) Positive Good (D) none of the
above
2. What is the alternative name for Legal Rights?
(A) Statutory Rights (B) Possessive Rights (C) Passive Rights (D) Corporal rights
3. Natural duties will bind on whom?
(A) Special people (B) All of us (C) older people (D) Women
4. In which year the General Assembly adopted the resolution recognizing the
significance of Human Duties?
(A)1998 (B) 1997 (C) 1999 (D) 2000
Answer : (1) B (2) A (3) B (4)A
28
UNIT III
INTRODUCTION TO TERMINOLOGY OF VARIOUS LEGAL INSTRUMENTS

This Unit will introduce the various terms that are employed in International Law and in
all its branches including international law of human rights. So for easy an understanding the
meaning and functioning of each of these words, they have been defined briefly without reference
to legal technicalities.
NOTE ON LEGAL INSTRUMENTS

In international law, to regulate the day to day relations between the states, they
enter into a number of agreements. These agreements establish legal relations between
states and crystallize the rules of international law to a maximum extent. From the
evolution of international law till date, numerous agreements have been entered by
states. However, various instruments entered by states in international relations are
often used with different names; in general, they are referred to as treaties. The
different names of the various legal instruments are treaties, covenants, charter,
conventions, protocol, and declarations.
Before discussing the various types of instruments, for a general understanding
the following note is very important to know about the procedural aspect of the
binding nature of these instruments.
In international law, any agreement or treaty negotiated or signed by states will
not automatically come into force. In the negotiating stage itself, depending upon the
number of states willing to sign the document, they fix a certain number of states to
ratify such agreement. Accordingly, after ratification of such number of member
states, the particular document will come into operation. This means, any legal
instrument entered in a particular year either may come into effect immediately or may
take a longer period to come into existence. For example the Vienna Convention on the
Law of Treaties was adopted by the States in 1969 (it is to be remembered that in
international law most of the agreements or instruments are named after the place in
which country it is negotiated or signed). However, it came into effect only in 1980.
Though an instrument's coming into force maybe another year, it is still linked to the
year in which it was originally adopted. Even if an instrument has come into existence
due to ratification, it will be binding only on those states, which have ratified the treaty,
and not applicable to states who signed. This means, after signature of a treaty, a state
has to ratify it specifically. At times even if a state ratifies a particular instrument, it
29
may expressly inform the Secretary General of the United Nations in whose office all
the treaties are deposited that it is not going to accept all the provisions of the
agreement and reserving some of them in the agreement. If the request receives the
acceptance of international community, then its obligations are limited only to such
provisions for which no reservation is made. This facilitates the states to take care of
their local interests within the country. For example in the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, popularly referred to as
CEDAW, the Government of India has reserved a number of provisions stating that if
it accepts such provisions, it may not be able to pass necessary legislation in municipal
law, as it would result in disturbing the communal harmony between various religions.
(The provision for common civil code is one among the main provision reserved by
India.)
Treaty
The term treaty had no exact definition until 1969. In 1969, to develop the legal
principles and to state the binding nature of legal instruments, a convention was
adopted namely, Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1969. According to the
Convention, a treaty is an international agreement entered between states in a written
form, regulated by the principles of international law whatever may be title of such
agreement. The principles of an instrument may be stated in a single document or may
spread into two or more documents. In case if they are spread into more than one, all
the documents and principles to be read together for the binding nature of an
instrument or treaty.
Bilateral Treaties
Bilateral treaty means any agreement entered between two nations confining to
the matters relating to them with specific interest between them. (For example India
entered a treaty with USA for the supply of Nuclear energy is a bilateral treaty). These
treaties will come into force without ratification and reservations. These treaties will be
in force, till the time the agreement achieves its objects. Once the purpose of the
agreement is over, the agreement will be terminated by a notification.
Multilateral Treaty
Multilateral treaty means an agreement entered by majority of states to establish
30
new principles of international law or codify to accept existing customary norms to

regulate their multifarious activities. These treaties are similar to that of legislation of
a country. These treaties will bring in uniform rules to
regulate the relations of states. Since the beginning of
nineteenth century till now, remarkable numbers of
multilateral agreements have been entered by the states. In
general, multilateral treaties are referred to as conventions
or covenants. These treaties impose an obligation on states
after the completion of technical formalities of signing,
ratification, to give affect by passing appropriate
legislation in the country. For example, the TRIPS
agreement, necessitated the Government of India to enact
specific legislations or bringing in modifications in the
existing enactments such as Law of Copyright, Patents
Act, Trade Marks, and Designs Act etc.
Convention and Covenant

A Convention or Covenant is a multilateral agreement entered by States to
bring in new norms or to settle existing conflicting norms of international law. A
Convention may take a long time for the states to adopt into their municipal
legislations after the technical procedures are completed. At times, they may even
renegotiate to settle the conflicting issues by entering into bilateral agreements.
Whereas in the case of covenant, they are bound to implement the norms by enacting
legislation. The covenants normally deal with the general welfare of the people across
the world establishing duties on the states to protect the interests of individuals at the
national level. The Covenants on Civil and Political Rights, Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights have led to every government to give effect to a number of rights and
duties guaranteed to individual by the States.
Declaration
Declaration means a set of principles laid down by an international body or
organization like the United Nations recognizing the significance of such principles to
be followed by States. Declaration being primarily policy document which only enlists
the views of an international organization, it has no legal validity and no binding
31
nature on the States. In order to give effect to such declarations, normally states after
deliberations to crystallize the principles as binding legal aspects enter into
conventions or bilateral treaties. For example, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights adopted by the UN in 1948 later crystallized into Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights and Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, in 1966.
Protocol
A Protocol is a diplomatic word used in international relations. However, in the
perspective of international agreements, if any agreement entered into by the states
parties and later they want to incorporate or remove any provision, they have to adopt
modifications. These modifications will generally be in written form and need to be
adopted after all the formalities (such as negotiation, communication, signature,
ratification, reservation etc.) are completed, and annexed to the main agreement
(treaty, convention, covenant etc.). Such annexes to the original treaty are referred to as
Protocol. In case if a state ratifies a convention, and has not ratified the protocol, then
such protocol will not be applicable to such states, which have not ratified. For
example, India signed the Covenant on Civil and Political rights but has not ratified the
protocols. Accordingly, no Indian citizen can complain to UN Human rights
Commissioner for the Violation of their rights by the state, if no remedy is available
nationally.
Conference
In international law, conferences play a vital role. For entering into multilateral
treaties, the deliberations of the states in a particular area are referred to as
conferences. At times, a conference may lay down general norms or review the existing
law and may suggest remedial measures for its effective implementation. For example,
The World Congress on Human Rights in 1993 introduced a number of principles
which later led to the adoption of independent conventions, resolutions and
declarations by the UN on a number of areas. It also recommended for the strict
promotion of human rights education by all the countries.
Resolutions
These are normally legal documents adopted by the Security Council, General
Assembly or by any other body of the United Nations. These resolutions adopted by
32
the UN are binding upon the states dealing in their relations with each other.
Charter and Statute
Any legal document or agreement entered by sovereign states defining the
principles of the functioning, structure, and powers of an international organization is
referred to as a Charter or Statute. For example, the Charter of the United Nations;
Statute of the International Court of Justice, etc.
Executive Orders
Executive orders are such orders issued by the sovereign authority of a state to
give effect to the agreements that they have entered in. If there exist a contradiction on
any aspect, they may state the policy of a particular state. These orders also play an
important source in settling the disputes that arise between states in international law
of human rights and other areas.
Summary :
Treaty means an agreement legally binding on the states to regulate their day to
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day relations.
Bilateral treaty is an agreement entered between two states to settle the
m
controversial aspects of international law or to lay down norms governing their
internal relations.
Multilateral treaty means, an agreement entered between several states to
m
formulate uniform rules of international law and its branches.
Convention is another type of multilateral agreement, wherein states lay down
m
general norms of international law especially under the auspices of an
international body like the United Nations.
Covenant is multilateral document enforced under the aegis of an international
m
body. After a state signs and ratifies, they are bound to adopt the provisions
through municipal law to protect the interests of their subjects.
Conference is a diplomatic meeting of states to frame new norms to follow by
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states in their day to day relations.
Protocol is an additional legal instrument entered by states to rectify the defects
m
33
in an existing document or to add additional provisions to an existing agreement.
Charter or Statute is a legal document entered by sovereign states to define the
m
structure, powers, and functions of an international organ.
Resolutions are legal documents specifying or directing states to follow with a set
m
of legal norms.
Executive orders are orders passed by Head of a state laying down their internal
m
policy matters on international law.
(Model - I) One word answer
1) A charter is a -------------------
A) (Legal document)
2) What is the internal policy formulations declared by a state are referred to as?
A) Executive orders
3) Which type of agreement in general impost an obligation on states to carry
the principles of it in municipal law?
A) Covenants
4) All Agreements are constitute as treaties in international law. Is the
statement true or false?
A) False
5) After what technicality an international agreement will be binding on a
state?
A) Ratification.
(Model - II)
1) What is the meaning of a treaty?
(A) Document (B) Note (C) Occasional paper (D) Legal Agreement
2) With what Executive orders deal?
(A) Internal Policies (B) External policies (C) International Law
(D) Technical Details
3) Who adopts resolutions in international law?
(A) States (B) Subjects of International law (C) International Organs (D) None
of the above
4) With what a charter deals?
(A) International norms (B) Human Rights (C) International Organs
(D) A particular Body of an International Organization
Answers : 1) D 2) A 3) C 4)C
34
UNIT IV
UNITED NATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

This Unit introduces to the reader with a brief legal evolution and the significance of
human rights in international arena. It will further describe various provisions of the Charter of
the United Nations, which are concerned with human rights. It will then highlight the steps taken
by the UN in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and introduce the objectives
of the preamble. It then proceeds to examine each Article with explanation to UDHR.
An Overview of UN System
The basic object of international law since its origin has been to establish peace
and security on the globe and to help mankind to lead a life with liberty, equality, and
freedom from the atrocities. In order to achieve this objective, the officials of nation-
states have laid their emphasis to protect the rights of mankind. Accordingly, the
international legal policy started emphasizing on the promotion and protection of
human rights universally without any kind of discrimination on grounds of sex,
religion, race etc. This philosophy ultimately became the corner stone not only of all
the branches of international law and the international community, but that of the
states in their Domestic Laws.
After the World War II, the victorious powers (popularly referred to as Allied
powers, namely, the US, UK, China, France, and former USSR) have taken the
innitiative to end the wars in future and to settle any disputes by peaceful means. This
concept resulted in number of conferences, wherein the future nations and peoples of
the world could have their confidence and live with utmost liberty and dignity.
Accordingly, they decided to establish an organisation, which could provide the
required legal regulation of the states on the basis of their participation. The name
Ùnited Nations' was suggested for the future organisation, by the Former US
President Franklin D Roosevelt, in 1942. According to him, United Nations represents
a symbol of Unity of Independent Nations and their people who united to achieve
peace forever and to give away the concept of war. This concept of Roosevelt received
widespread recognition by other major countries. Accordingly, they established the
United Nations in 1945.
Various movements which started from centuries back for the recognition of the
rights of men and women, received widespread recognition especially, in the western
world. However, the independent recognition by states in their constitutions had not
35
given the much required acknowledgement in the
international arena. After the Second World War, the
member states, while discussing on the establishment of
U n i t e d N a t i o n s s e r i o u s ly
thought that in order to have
similar rights of man across the
world. Accordingly, after long
deliberations, the words human rights took birth in
international law with the adoption of the Charter of the
United Nations on October 24, 1945.
United Nations Organization has Six Principal organs, namely;
UNITED
NATIONS ORGANISATION
Trusteeship Council
(Suspended operations-1994
with the independence of Palau )
Secretariat
General Assembly
International Court of Justice
Security Council
Economic & Social Council
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly is composed of all the
State parties' members to the United Nations. The
present strength of the UN is 193. The Assembly
meets once in a year normally in September. The
president of each session is elected every year by the
member states. The General Assembly is authorized
by the Charter to oversee the various aspects relating
to human rights.
36
SECURITY COUNCIL
The Security Council is the main body
responsible for the maintenance of peace and
security. It has a total strength of 15 out of which
five are permanent members (U.K., USA, France,
Russia, and China) and 10 non-permanent
members elected for every two years basing on
geographical representation. The Security
Council is highest body, whose decision is final on any matter. To receive any decision
for implementation it requires at least a majority of 10 votes. The President of the
Council rotates every month between the 15 States in alphabetical order. The
representatives of members states should always be available in New York to facilitate
the council to meet as and when it is necessary.
SECRETARIAT
The United Nations has a secretariat to coordinate with the entire work of all the
organs of the UN. It functions under a Chief Administrative Officer referred to as
Secretary General. The term of Office of the Secretary General is five years. It can be
extendable indefinitely for any number of terms. However, no Secretary General has
worked more than two terms. The Secretary General is appointed by the General
Assembly on the recommendations of the Security Council. The Secretary General
also normally elected on the basis of geographical rotation. The Secretariat provides
for studies, information, and facilities needed by United Nations bodies for their
meetings. The Secretariat is the depository for all the Legal Instruments entered by the
states. It carries the work as directed by the organs of the UN.
The present Secretary General is from South Korea. He was elected in 2007 and
is also reappointed for a second term which will start from 2012. Till date the following
people served as secretary generals of the UN.
Gladwyn Jebb Oct 24, 1945 to Feb, 1946 as an adhoc Secretary General from
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UK.
Trygve Lie, February 1946-10 Nov 1952; Norway ( Resigned)
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Dag Hammarskjold, 10 April 1953-18 September 1961, Sweden (Died in Plane
m
Crash)
37
U Thant, 30 November 1961-31 December 1971, Burma
m
Kurt Waldheim, 1 January 1972-31 December 1981 Austria
m
Javier Perez de Cuellar, 1 January 1982-31 December 1991, France
m
Boutros Boutros-Ghali ,1 January 1992- 31 December 1996, Egypt
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Kofi Annan, 1 January 1997-31 December 2006 Ghana
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Ban Ki-moon, 1 January 2007 onwards, South Korea
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ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

The Economic and Social Council is one
of the principal organs of the UN. It is
responsible for the work of the Economic and
Social affairs of the bodies of the UN. It has 54
states as its members. They are elected by the
General Assembly for three year term. The
election of the States is based on geographical
distribution of regions of the world. It meets
once in a year. This is the main body mostly
looks after the affairs of the Human Rights and recommends to the UN bodies.
Trusteeship Council
Trusteeship council's objective is to promote
harmonious relations among the people of dependent
territories and to make the territories independent.
This council was established to administer the best
interests of the people in the territories under mandates by the
League of Nations or territories taken from nations after
Second World War. After 1945 it was entrusted to see and to
protect the interests of the people of the colonies. It has successfully achieved its object
in decolonizing all the territories and in enhancing the rights of the people of those
territories entrusted to it. Among the major success of it is in the African region, where
it could secure decolonization of several territories from the colonial masters.
(Trusteeship means any country that is dependent on another country, for its
38
economic, social, and cultural development. It was established in order to look after
needs of the dependent country under the responsibility of international community
where more transparent development will be there, than under the rule of the main
country to administrating the activities of its dependent country). The Council had
achieved the objectives of promotion of economic, social, cultural aspects of those
territories (11 non self governing territories) that entrusted to it to become independent
countries. Palau or Pelew was the last trust territory that became the independent
Republic in 1994 under the purview of Trust territory. As a result, as of now, there is no
single country under trusteeship. Hence, the Council has no role to play. However, the
UN system still retains and plans to use its activities in future trusteeships if any come
under its purview or may employ its activities to achieve all round development of
human rights in underdeveloped countries with its experience.
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
The ICJ is the main Judicial Organ of the UN. It is situated in the Peace Palace at
The Hague in the Netherlands. It settles the disputes submitted by the States and
renders advisory opinion to the United Nations. The Court consists of 15 judges
elected for a nine year term by the UN. The election takes place every three years,
basing on the retirement of one third of judges. The President of the Court is elected by
the judges.
The chart at the end of book clearly specifies the mandate of human rights law
and the specific bodies that work in realizing them through nation states.
39
Provisions of the UN Charter dealing with Human Rights
The preamble of the United Nations, as discussed above, declared its aim to
wipe out the fear of war, the promotion of human rights and the worth of human
person and dignity of mankind. It also seeks to establish justice, and promotes
corporation between the States to discharge their duties to create a just economic,
social and cultural order wherein mankind can realize the fundamental human rights
in accordance with the principles of international law. Accordingly, a number of
provisions of the Charter have incorporated human rights. They are as follows:
1. Article 1 of the Charter lays down the purposes of the United Nations.
Accordingly, it is one of the duties of the UN as a world body to take necessary
steps to achieve international co-operation in order to reduce the inequalities of
economic, social, and cultural aspects. It also oversees to promote and encourage
the nation-states to respect the human rights of man and the promotion of all the
fundamental freedoms without any distinction to race, sex, language or religion.
2. Article 8 lays down that the UN shall place no restriction on the eligibility of men
and women to participate in any capacity equally in its principal and subsidiary
organs. According to the provisions of this article, all persons of the world are
eligible to join the UN and serve in its jobs as per the qualifications prescribed for
each post. These jobs, the internships, and various projects that are available with
UN are open to all without any discrimination to race, sex, language or any other
ground.
3. According to Article 13, to achieve the purposes and objectives of the Charter,
especially with respect to the promotion of Human Rights, the General Assembly
(since the General Assembly represents all the nations), it has been entrusted with
the task of taking harmonized steps in the promotion of human rights of
economic, social, cultural, educational and fundamental freedoms.
4. According to Article 55, it is the responsibility of the United Nations to take all
necessary legal steps to promote peace and cooperation between the member
countries to attain higher standards of living, full employment and the promotion
economic and social progress;
(a) To suggest solutions to help the states to achieve internationally
economic, social, health, education, and cultural relations of a high
standard; and
(b) To promote universal respect for human rights without any
discrimination on any grounds whatsoever.
40
To achieve the objectives stated in the Article 55, the member states established
the Economic and Social Council as one of the significant organs of the United
Nations, in order to assist the General Assembly in realizing the protection and
promotion of human rights.
5. According to Article 76, the member states established a Trusteeship Council as
another principal organ.
6. The above are the most important objectives of UN to achieve the fundamental
freedoms of human beings across the globe. According to Article. 7 the UN will
have six principal organs as discussed above. The function of all the organs is to
carry out the duties towards the nation-states, which includes the promotion of
human rights as their principal duty.
7. If any country disobeys the mandate, especially in the promotion and protection
of human rights, or if any country is under threat from another country, the
Security Council is empowered to take all necessary steps including even to
declare a war to achieve peace and security, which includes the promotion and
protection of human rights. (Article 51)
8. Apart from the above, in accordance with Article 55, the Security Council may
direct the regional organizations ( like European Union, SAARC etc., these
organizations are established by member states of the UN to settle their internal
differences or to promote their relations that are specific to their region only).
The aim of these organizations is to assist the UN and to achieve the economic,
social, cultural aspects and fundamental freedoms of each region quickly and to
resolve the differences between them at the regional level.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Technical Background

Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of Former US President looking at the
Declaration as one of the chief Architect and
Chairperson of the Drafting Committee of the
UDHR.
After the establishment of the United Nations, in
order to discharge its commitment for the promotion of
Human rights it has established a small committee of
nine members on February 15, 1946 to take steps for the
preparation of an International Bill of Human Rights.
41
In April that year, Mrs. Roosevelt was appointed as its chairperson. Immediately,
after the constitution, the committee had its preliminary meeting and suggested for the
increase of the members, which was increased to eighteen. (The representatives of the
following countries were appointed. They were Australia, Belgium, Byelorussia of
Soviet Socialist Republic, Chile, China, Egypt, France, India, Iran, Lebanon, Panama,
Philippines, United Kingdom, United States, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,
Uruguay, and Yugoslavia). On June 21, 1946, the Economic and Social Council
framed the terms of reference on which the committee needed to work for the drafting
of the Universal Declaration.
After the terms of reference to prepare a universal text for the promotion and
protection of human rights, the committee later converted into the Commission on
Human Rights, which functioned till 2006. This was later converted into a permanent
inter governmental body known as Human Rights Council, in 2006 by the General
Assembly. At present, the strength of the council is 47 states.
The Commission on Human Rights after deliberations appointed, Mr. John
Peters Humphrey of Canada as the drafting committee chairman. John Humphrey
prepared the first draft of the universal text. After that Mr. Rene Cassin, a French
Professor of Law and Judge prepared the final version of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights [UDHR] with 30 Articles on the model of the Napoleon code. In 1968,
he received the Noble Peace Prize for drafting the UDHR.
After the final version of the Draft, the General Assembly had finally adopted the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. Since then,
December 10 is celebrated as Human Rights day to mark the Universal Declaration
and the Fundamental Freedoms of human beings, which were recognized universally
without any discrimination as to race, religion, sex, language and culture. However,
since the declaration has no legal validity and binding nature on the states under
international law, the UN asked the Commission to take further steps to convert it into
two seperate legal texts. Further, the Declaration being a mixture of both Civil and
Political Rights; Economic, Social and Cultural rights in one single text, it would be
dificult for the states to impliment them.
On this suggestion, the Commission and the various committees after a
considerable laborious work finally prepared the blue print of two texts. These are
titled as Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights, which have been adopted in 1966 and came into force in 1976.
The First covenant has been ratified by 160 states, and 167 (till July 2011) ratified the
42
Second one. Later both the covenants have been added with additional protocols.
The Civil and Political Rights are referred to as justiciable rights, which are
equivalent to the Fundamental Rights of the Constitution of India. The Economic,
Social and Cultural rights are referred to as Non-Justiciable rights, and are only
directives to the states which need to be promoted and implemented depending upon
various factors (these are comparable to the Directive Principles of State Policy as
framed by the Constitution which are directives to the State. These rights normally,
can't be challenged in a court of law for their non-implementation. However, in the
recent past, at least more than two decades, the Supreme Court of India in no
uncertain terms made it clear through a number of judgments; if the non-justiciable
rights have a substantive bearing on the enjoyment of fundamental rights, their non-
implementation can be challenged).
The Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights has an optional
Protocol adopted in 2008. This protocol allows individuals to complain to the
International Human Rights Mechanism of the UN for the non-implementation of
the provisions of the Charter by the States parties. This is a historic Protocol. For the
first time, it has permitted the individuals to complain against their states, even in the
case of non-implementation of the provisions of the non-justiciable rights, which are
addressed only to States. The complaint may be made to UN High Commissioner on
Human Rights, only after the exhaustion of local remedies including the highest
court's judgments. The protocol is signed by 36 states, and ratified by 3 states. This has
not yet entered into force. Since this is a radical Protocol, certainly it will take time for
states to accept their responsibility to discharge towards their people.
The Covenant on Civil and Political Rights has two protocols. The first one was
adopted in 1966 and came into force in 1976. This protocol guarantees to the
individual citizens to complain to the UN any violation of their civil and political
rights by their state, after completing all the formalities and exhausting the remedies
including the decision of the Supreme Court. (This right is guaranteed to the people of
those countries, which ratified the Protocol. Government of India has not yet ratified;
the Indian citizens cannot make any complaint) It has been ratified by 114 fourteen
states till July 2011.
The Second Protocol was adopted in 1989 and came into force in 1991. It
received 73 ratifications by states parties as on July 2011. This Protocol abolishes death
penalty as a deterrent criminal punishment. Government of India is not a party to this
protocol.
43
Significance of the UDHR
The Charter of United Nations aim is to protect the Human Rights and freedoms
of the individuals at the International level. In order to implement the mandate of the
States, the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration
is nothing but an extension of the ideology of what states parties have conceived in the
Charter.
The adherence to the Declaration in true spirit will bring peace and security.
m
The Declaration with its non-binding nature has received universal recognition
m
without any exception and accepted by the whole international community.
All the states - even the communist countries (like former USSR, former
m
Yugoslavia) - which were skeptical in the beginning, gradually realized the
significance and started defending the declaration.
The regular reference to the Declaration and the development of the provisions
m
later crystallized into Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the adoption of independent texts on
various aspects of human rights. All these texts conferred the status on the
declaration as a part of customary international law.
The Declaration became an extension of the Charter of the United Nations. On
m
Several Occasions, the various organs of the UN including the Security Council
and the General Assembly quoted its provisions in a number of resolutions and
documents.
The World Conference on Human Rights held at Vienna in 1993 made
m
references to the UDHR and paid its tributes to it.
The States parties (especially the developing states, several times made a mention
m
of their rights and the rights of their people in various areas of cooperation and
concession of varied aspects of law by the developed states) advanced their
claims basing on the provisions of the Declaration.
The International Court of Justice and the municipal courts (especially the
m
highest court of a country) in a number of cases made significant references to
UDHR in their decisions, led for wide judicial recognition.
In 1978 on its 30th anniversary, 84 States paid tributes to the Declaration in the
m
Teheran conference of Human Rights.
44
As a mark of respect to the declaration and its principles, the UN crystallized its
m
millennium goals basing on the unfulfilled dreams of it. These goals will drive
the states to discharge their responsibilities to accomplish the standards they
themselves set in the declaration.
The extensive recognition and respect given to the declaration universally, and
m
celebration of December 10 every year by the World Community led scholars to
term it as the Magna Carta of the World, in upholding the rights and
fundamental liberties of the individuals.
Analysis of the Declaration:

The declaration contains a preamble and 30 Articles. The preamble specifies the
objectives and the Articles deal with Civil and Political Rights, Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights, while a few articles of this declaration deal with the duties to be
performed by all agents (this includes the states to render their duties towards other
states, to their people and minimum guarantees to the whole mankind wherever they
reside. At the same time, impose legal and moral obligations on the society towards
individual's vis-à-vis individuals towards society and international community). In
other words, the declaration became the cornerstone of international law to achieve its
basic aim and object of securing peace and security, the concept of one world and to
make the world free from the fear of war.
This is evident from the fact that though international law gave birth to the
concept of human rights only six decades ago, in the contemporary era, every branch
of international law has an influence of human rights. Moreover, in crystallizing new
norms to regulate the international relations of states, many a times they incorporate
human rights as the basis. (This is further evident that this declaration, the only
document officially translated by UN in more than 360 languages, to help people, to
practice them easily.)
The continuous adherence and reference to the UDHR on par with the Charter
of the United Nations by member states made it more than a legally binding
document. Even new states who come into existence and become members of the UN,
all of them without any exception have accepted the principles of the Declaration
along with Charter as new members of the international community. The Declaration
has paved the way for the independence of many countries in 60's and 70's.
45
Preamble of the Declaration
The Preamble of the Declaration states the spirit
and significance of the Declaration. The picture
conveys that if the mankind and its creators (namely,
states) follow the Declaration in true spirit, it is easy to
achieve peace, security through friendship and
prosper together. This spirit has been stated in the
Declaration, and is explained hereunder in a simple and common language for easy
understanding with some pictures to signify the importance of oneness along with
commentary to each article.
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights
of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the
world.
The mankind as a whole, which includes the states and the international
community, have the responsibility at all times to promote the natural and inseparable
personality to uphold the self –respect of every individual without any difference. The
friendly behavior of mankind alone is the basis for upholding the freedom, justice, and
peace on the earth.
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts
which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human
beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been
proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.
The negligence of people, disrespect to the rights of others and the self interest of
the emperors from ancient to modern times have resulted in a number of wars. This
type of behavior of few individuals as rulers led to a number of revolutions across the
world, and mankind went through a number of difficulties, which ultimately
developed fear in the minds of common man of their existence. They extended respect
and support to their rulers out of fear than with love and affection. This had brought in
distance between the rulers and the people. The tyrannical ambitions of the rulers,
finally led to the evolution of natural rights (see Unit II), which in turn resulted in
establishing democracy and human rights. The ambition of few vested interests
relegated the freedoms of individual and resulted in two World Wars. To halt the
inimical attitude of few individuals, the world leaders have realized that peace and
security to mankind could be established only by guaranteeing equal rights to express
46
their opinions on any issue freely without fear, and the needs of common man be met
only by guaranteeing human rights without any discrimination.
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort,
to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human right should be protected by the rule
of law.
As discussed above, if no person is forced to act against his or her will, the scope
for coups or wars and social movements will not be there in the World. In other words,
even in a democratic set up, if any organ of the state or its rulers is not discharging in
their legal duties and show any tendency towards favoritism or disrespect the rights of
people, social movements are bound to develop. (For example, the uneven
development of a country, corruption etc., led for a number of social movements
across the world).
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between
nations.
It is the responsibility of every country to develop harmonious relationship with
each other. To achieve this fundamental principle, states laid their faith and emphasis
on international law to regulate their relations in a peaceful manner. The states too
have duties to respect the territorial integrity, sovereignty of nations and its people
without resorting to any kind of hatred or discrimination on grounds of race, religion,
sex, or language. The harmonious relationship between the states at the international
level only could lead to establish peace and security. With that endurance to bring in
peace and security to mankind, the states have established the UN, and to resolve their
differences in a friendly manner by employing legally permissible methods. (Normally
under international law, the disputes or differences are resolved by employing any one
or all of the methods. These are Negotiation, Mediation, Conciliation, Arbitration or
Judicial Settlement or by war as a last alternative).
In a plain reading, the rights of the
individuals and their free exercise,
depends on the friendly relations
between nation-states. It is the duty of
states to be friendly to settle their
differences and to live in peace, to bloom
the personal liberties of mankind. To
achieve this every year, September 21 is celebrated as an international day of peace by
states popularly known as World Peace Day.
47
As a mark of respect to celebrate the peace day, a peace bell is rung every year at
the Head Quarters of the United Nations in New York. The bell is cast of coins
donated by children of all continents with an inscription on its sides read as “Long Live
absolute World Peace.” The great cricket star of India, Sachin Tendulkar had donated
the bell. For the donation of this bell, Tendulkar is referred to as the reminder of
human cost of war. Many a times the UN and its organs, and even NGO's around the
world choose famous personalities in the World and appoint them as Ambassadors of
peace to promote the ideals of one world and one humanity through the prism of
human rights.
Whereas the people of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in
fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal
rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better
standards of life in larger freedom. Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to
achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and
observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest
importance for the full realization of this pledge.
Now therefore, The General Assembly proclaims this Universal Declaration of
Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the
end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in
mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for their rights and freedoms
and by progressive measures, national and international to secure their universal and
effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves
and among the peoples of territories and their jurisdiction.
The world leaders have given the name United Nations to the international
organization is a reaffirmation of their concern for peace, friendship, to live with
dignity and to promote peace and security. The United Nations represents
togetherness of the people across the world in spite of differences in language, culture
and other issues that exist between the West and the East. The main concern and idea
of the leaders by establishing an organization is to make it a true global organization
symbolizing the spirit of mankind as a single entity, without any difference whatsoever
it may be. Accordingly, the UN works to achieve the objectives of the preamble of the
Declaration in order to end the miseries of various disadvantaged cross section of
people like women, minorities, children, disabled, etc., to promote the concept of
oneness among all. (For the various activities of the UN visit, the UN web site
48
http://www.un.org/wotks. In the pages of UN, one could see the various areas
wherein the UN involved itself through people across the globe to wipe out the tears of
millions of people on various fronts and to bring them to the main stream of life of the
international and national societies. The money spent on all these activities is only the
annual contribution of the member states shows the determination that the states have
to develop the better standards of life).
The pictures represent the Eight

significant Millennium Goals adopted at the end
of the Millennium in 2000 by the United
Nations and Members of UN made a pledge to
achieve them. The eight pictures represent eight
objectives which need to be achieved by the UN
by engaging people across the world. For this
purpose it conducts a number of programmes and offers a variety of internships to
young students and offers projects for research in every area. Infact the Science and
Technology field has a broad scope in UN to associate themselves to achieve the
objectives of the UN. In one sentence, everyone in their field could contribute for a
better standard of life and be associated with the UN. The pictures below and the
symbols stand for the goals which are stated:
Goal: 1 Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty
Goal: 2 Achieve Universal Primary Education
Goal: 3 Promote Gender Equality and Women Empowerment
Goal: 4 Reduce Child Mortality
Goal: 5 Improve Maternal Health
49
Goal: 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
Goal: 7 Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Goal: 8 Develop Global partnerships for Development
The above eight are the official goals and pictures developed by the UN. To
monitor the progress of each Goal and the steps to be taken for their betterment, the
UN recently entered into an agreement with technology giant Google as a partner to
assist the UN.
To achieve the objectives of the Charter of the United Nations, the General
Assembly adopted the Declaration. After the adoption of this declaration and to live
up to its expectations, international law has underwent a number a changes in its
approach towards the rights of the states and extending protection to the individuals.
The progressive codification of International Law of Human Rights, the number of
conventions, declarations, Covenants, conferences and protocols have had a
significant impact on the approach of the States and the International Organizations
including International Monetary Fund and World Bank. However, as there are
differences and self interests that we human beings are having, the states do have their
own policy perspective to protect and develop their own people. To end all kinds of
discrimination, the UN works to achieve them fully as stated in the Charter and the
Declaration through the principles of international law.
Article 1 ( Free and Equal in Dignity and Right) :

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed
with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
A plain reading of the text indicates that all the persons born have equal rights
and are entitled to dignity and respect without any distinction. However, from a strict
socio-legal perspective, it needs an analytical perspective.
From the established political philosophy, all persons born in any society are
equal in all respects in the eyes of law. No discrimination is permissible to one another
50
in a society and they need to ensure all types of rights and freedoms, both in the
international and national legal scenario. However, a close examination of the
provisions of the Article amply makes it clear, that due to economic, social and
cultural conditions, the concept of equality has its own restrictions, which are
legitimate in their exercise. Freedom also has its own limitations. For example, in the
Indian context, all persons above 18 years of age are entitled to exercise their franchise
or right to vote without any limitations. There should not be any restrictions on the
exercise of this right. This may be symbolized as political equality that is recognized
legally, but depending on their economic situation, the life style of people may vary.
It is the responsibility of the state to extend concession to the needy sections of
people of the polity in order to bring them on par with other developed sections in
terms of socio, economic and cultural perspective. The Millennium goals of the UN
also try to achieve the minimum economic equality and strive to eliminate poverty.
This means, though there exist differences on economic, social, and cultural front, in
the eye of law all the citizens are equal and for the state the potential of every
individual is the prime concern. The concept of gender equality is also included in this
article, which places men and women on an equal footing in all walks of life.
Further, the issue of equality does not mean that the mental and physical
capacities of all the people are one and the same. The development of personality
depends upon the environment that a person grew up and the conditions in which they
live. Mental maturity and the intellectual capacities mainly depend upon the
surroundings in which they live in and the cultural perspectives that they adopt. It is
the duty of state, and the international community to provide the basic necessary
facilities to grow in a friendly atmosphere and strive to increase the earning capacities
of each individual. In this regard, it is the responsibility of every individual of the
society to contribute their might for the betterment of all sections of the people. Hence,
depending on the socio-economic, cultural conditions, a state may frame its policy
formulations according to the needs of every section of people
of the society.
The picture brings forth the idea that through love and
affection alone one can help to achieve equality. Inspite of
economic, social, psychological, physical inabilities of a
person, they need to be cared for by the society, and have to be
treated with love and respect to enable them to fully develop
their personality. This being the objective, the emphasis of the
51
Article is that, every individual has a duty to respect the dignity and rights of every
other person for the progressive development and realization of human rights, which is
the main thrust of International Law of Human Rights.
Article 2 (Prohibition of discrimination):

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without
distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other
opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Furthermore no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or
international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it, be
independent, trust, non-self governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
From the above pictures and the provisions of the Article, no person has lesser
rights, irrespective of their status for any reason whatsoever may be. This means
whether a person belongs to a developed, developing, under developed, less developed
or land locked states (a state without a sea border like Nepal or Bhutan) in
international law would be treated equally. Further, in international law different types
of states are recognized, namely, Micro, Macro, Non-Self Governing territories,
dependent territories; Insurgent and belligerent states (movements where people's
organizations at times control a territory and defy the sovereignty or people fighting for
establishing a new country so on and so forth. This Article's aim is whatever the type
of government or territory, whether it may be Europe, America, Asia, or Africa, black
or white, child, young person, women, or man, disabled, minorities, all are equal and
have equal rights. In the application of law, the international community or a state
cannot show any kind of discrimination. Further, due to internal problems or for any
other reason, a person flees from his country to take shelter in another country referred
as refugee also cannot be shown any discrimination by such country, where in they
seek shelter.
52
The differences on any of the grounds mentioned in the Article such as race,
colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin,
property, birth or other status, normally evolves because of lack of basic understanding
of law and moral values of a society. Due to lack of knowledge and understanding of
the basic tenets of law, justice, equality, dignity, liberty, ethical, moral, values and rights
(as discussed in units I & II), makes one to relegate the rights to a secondary position.
This inturn, will bring in all the differences and miseries. In such cases, it is the duty of
the international community to provide the mechanism to augment the values, and
extend the necessary concessions to the extent necessary for their upliftment.
Article 3 (Right to Life, Liberty, and Security):

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
The Article is the briefest one in the entire
Declaration. However, it is the most important one
among all the rights. This implies that the international
community and the states in their constitutions have to
take the responsibility to provide a life wherein the people
meet their minimum requirements of life. These are
especially, food, clothing and shelter. These are the basic
requirements to lead a life and able to exercise their rights freely. The UN in order to
provide these necessities adopted a number of steps and legal documents requesting
the states to follow suit. Nationally, to provide such equality, the Great Son of India,
namely, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar has penned the provisions of the constitution to
bringig social harmony. A duty has been casted on the state to discharge its
responsibility to provide facilities to lead a life free from all infirmities. This provision
is continuously interpreted by the Supreme Court of India (Article 21 which is similar
to the Article 3 of UDHR) with progressive outlook and expanded the fundamental
rights in a number of cases.
Extending the provisions of the Article, the UN adopted the Protocol II to Civil
and Political rights abolishing death penalty. The ideology of the UN behind the
adoption of this protocol is that since a person is born, no one including law has a right
to take away the life of an individual under no circumstances. Even if a person
committed a grave offense, the punishment may be extended to life time imprisonment
rather than taking away the life of a person. Another important objective of the article
is that, in case if it comes to knowledge of acourt subsequently that a sentnced person is
53
innocent, then there won't be any chance to bring back the life of the person.
Accordinaly, death penalty be abolished even in the rarest of rarer casses. With this
objective, to stop politics and to try the offences of even former rulers of a country.UN
has adopted the Rome Statue establishing the International Criminal Court to have an
independent, impartial trial of the person without any kind of illegal motives of states
at the cost of life, liberty and security.
Further in order to achieve life, liberty, and security of person at all times, at the
national level the UN requested the states to establish National Human Rights
Commissions in every country to protect them from the violations of human rights..
Article 4 (Prohibition of Slavery):

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be
prohibited in all their forms.
In human history, slavery occupies a special role. It was in existence from ancient
to modern times. Even in the era of globalization and information technology, of
contemporary era, slavery is in existance and is in practice in different forms. The main
forms of slavery are chattel slavery, bonded labour, beggar, human trafficking, and
forced labour.
Chattel Slavery means, human beings are treated as
animals and sold in a market like goods. Once a
person buys another person, as owner, such person
will have all the rights, and the purchased person had
to undertake all the jobs entrusted by the purchaser.
Bonded Labour : If any person or his family is having

any debt to any rich person and unable to repay such
debt, the entire family works for rich man without any
wages to repay their debt.
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Human Trafficking: It means transporting

human beings (especially women, children)
from one country to another country or one
place to another place for exploiting their
labour and body for various purposes.
Forced Labour: According to International
Labour Organisation's (ILO) convention, on Forced Labour, 1932, any work or
service, which is extracted from any person under the
threat of penalty, and for extracting the work without
voluntary consent of such person constitutes forced labour.
According to statistics of ILO there are about over 12
million people working as forced labour, in the world.
According to the article prostitution, captivity of children,
child soldiers, selling women and children due to abject poverty etc, also constitute as
the modern means of forced labour and slavery.
In order to prevent various forms of forced labour and slavery, in 1926 the
League of Nations (the predecessor organisation of the United Nations) adopted a
Convention on prevention of Slavery. Expanding its provisions, the UN in 1956
adopted a supplementary Convention to it, including the modern means or forms of
practices, which may lead to slavery. The UN apart from the conventions on slavery
adopted a number of other conventions on prostitution, child trafficking, abduction,
etc, in order to prevent any kind of deprivation of life, liberty, and security to human
nd
person in any form. The UN declared 2 December, of every year as the anti-Slavery
day. International law strictly prohibits states to practice any such practice that leads to
slavery of any kind. Articles 23 & 24 of the Constitution of India prohibits all types of
slavery and human trafficking in India.
This Article again highlights that until and unless the mankind practices
sincerely the spirit of common brotherhood in its fullest extent, whatever number of
legal measures taken at the international and national levels, they remain only on
paper, and the rights of millions of individuals are nullified. Hence, it is the duty of
mankind, not to think of one's rights and comfort alone, but to think of the rights of
others and to extend protection to the extent possible to prevent any act that may lead
to slavery or deprivation of life and liberty of others.
55
Article 5 (Prohibition of Torture):
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or
punishment.
According to the UN Convention on torture and other inhuman criminal
degrading treatment 1984, torture means, any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether
physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him
or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has
committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person,
or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by
or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person
acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or
incidental to lawful sanctions.
Torture is another important aspect in the violation of one's human rights. This
may be inflicted in various ways and means. In this, the punishment is employed by
various methods. The methods may be physical, psychological, mental, etc. They are
employed either to get information from a person, or to harass a person as revenge by a
powerful person against a weak person. At times, even for sadistic pleasure or for no
reason also it is employed. Many a times this is employed by Law enforcing agencie's
against the criminals or an accused to get information in the investigation of a crime.
Many a times men employee torture against women.
Torture is prohibited by international law of human rights. The United Nations
on December 10,1984, adopted a Convention against Torture and other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment banning its practice in any form.
The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action 1993, otherwise referred to as the
World Congress of Human Rights condemned torture in unequivocal terms.
Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment constitutes as a form of torture. This
includes to cover a particular situation depending on the type of punishment that is
inflicted. For example : Corporal punishment, interment in dark cells, restraining the
movement of a person by keeping him in chains, employing any method to create fear
in the person within visible form of methods, use of drugs on prisoners, castration or
practices, genital mutilation, depriving the basic necessities, especially depriving food
and water, solitary confinement, or any other form of methods that are employed
against a individual or group of persons, constitutes as torture.
56
To prevent torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, the UN constituted a

committee of ten experts elected by the member states. The committee monitors the
implementation of the Convention and makes recommendations to be followed by the
states. The summary of observations and recommendations are regularly submitted to
the General Assembly. To prevent any kind of prohibitary activities, and blatant acts of
the states towards their citizens, in recent times, international agencies like the World
Bank and International Monetary Fund incorporated practices of torture as one of the
grounds to refuse loans to countries. India, enacted legislations to prevent torture and
consider it as a criminal offence under sections 498 A of IPC.
Article 6 (Right to recognition as person before the law):

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
This means, any person irrespective of their economic,
political, social or cultural status has human rights that are
recognized universally. Accordingly, a citizen belongs to
every country needs to be treated on equal basis at least for
the enjoyment of basic minimum rights. A non-citizen of a
country also has certain fundamental rights during their
stay in another country and no deprivation is permissible.
For example., X a citizen of India travels to England on any
purpose, during his travel across various countries, X has to be treated with utmost
respect and dignity to his personality, and be permitted to enjoy life and liberty,
according to the law of the land. Refugees, migrant workers, and non-citizens of a
country or physically, mentally infirmed people (disabled) have to be protected. The
responsibility lies on the individuals and the society also. No deprivation of life and
liberty is permissible under any circumstances. The Charter of the United Nations
clearly states that we the people of the United Nations, which means, people of the
world as natural persons are same and equal in all respects in the eye of law. The
UNESCO and other organs of the UN in regular intervals train the personnel of
various states and suggest the ways and means to prevent any kind of violation.
In order to achieve equality before law, a state is entitled to extend any concession
to any group of people depending on various factors. At the same time, people who are
under a protective umbrella of state also need to remember that their protection or
concessions may be withdrawn by the state at any time, if in its opinion the purposes
for which the concessions extended to any group of people are achieved. Accordingly,
57
to bridge the gap between developed and developing states, a number of concessions
are granted in various areas in their relations with each other.
However, a number of derogatory practices are reported regularly, around the
world. Any derogatory practice that take's place against any individisal or group of
persons in any country is highly condemnable. The sum and substance of the Article is
to inform the individuals that every one of us have to exercise their rights with
responsibility to promote and respect the equality, dignity, life and liberty of every
individual.
Article 7 (Equality before the law) :

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal
protection of the law. All are entitled to equal promotion against any discrimination in
violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
This Article is an extension of Articles 2 and 6. According to this Article, under
no circumstances, whatever may be the status of a person, all are equal in the eye of
law. At times, in order to promote the rights of certain weaker sections or vulnerable
groups like women, children, disabled, minorities or people belonging to various
social backward sections privileges are extended for their development as a basis for
their protection development by the law of the land of a country, cannot be considered
as unequal.
This Article corresponds to article 14 of the Indian Constitution, which has
inculcated the principle of Equality. However, due to lack of proper understanding of
the spirit of common brotherhood of the world, or relegating their ethical and moral
duties temporarily people across the world practice a number of derogatory practices
against each other, to protect their own interests at the cost of the life and liberty of
others. This type of illegal motives many a time leads to unnecessary frictions among
individuals and result in as obstacles for development.
The indirect caution of the Article is that no one is to be treated unequal in the
eye of law. This is the duty of the states to implement the spirit of international law and
the Charter of the United Nations, which they themselves adopted and promised to
fulfill. Along with the States, we the people of the United Nations too have the
responsibility to achieve the common brotherhood, spirit of international law and
human rights in true spirit, as partners of a state.
58
Article 8 (Right to an effective remedy) :

Every one has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for
acts violating the fundamental rights guaranteed to him by the constitution or law.
This Article has to be read, in conjunction with the previous two Articles.A very
important word of these articles is "every one" Accordingly no distinction be made by
a state between citizens, foreigners, or stateless persons in the enforcement of their
rights as a person before law. The aim of this article is to provide a remedy for any
person through domestic courts in case of violation of their constitutional or legal
rights. In such cases a remedy may be claimed only under domestic law of that country
but not under the Universal Declaration.
In a similar fashion, if any crime committed by any body which constitutes as a
crime under International law, International tribunals need to dealwith such criminals.
However, since there was no such mechanism available to try the crimes of
International crimanals (such as former rulers, Internation crimanals, or terrorists),
states used to constitatute adhoc tribunals to try their offences many a times, these
tribunals used to be partial in their approach. In order to prevent such abuses, the UN
establiseed the International Criminal Court in 2002 at The Hague, The Netherlands.
A number of states including India and USA etc. are not parties to this court's
Jurisdiction. Further, in 2005 in the General Assembly adopted a declaration with a set
of principles and guidelines to be followed by states to protect the human rights of
International Criminals too.
Though a good number of states are yet to become parties to the Rome Statute, it
is expected that with the help of the States, the steps taken by UN, the victims will now
find a place of justice in upholding their rights.
The International Criminal Court, The Hague,The Netherlands.
Article 9 (Prohibition of Arbitrary Arrest) :
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile.
This is the first Article followed by the subsequent two
articles in the declaration, guaranteeing the life and liberty of an
individual from the criminal law excesses that are often
committed by the executive authorities of a country. According
to the provision of the article, no person can be arrested on
suspicion, or to keep him in jail, or to export a person to an
undisclosed destination, without the knowledge of judiciary.
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This is the general rule of international law and need to be obeyed by the states parties
without any deviation.
This Article guarantee an individual's freedom from an arbitrary arrest,
detentaon or transport to an undisclosed destination by law enforcing agencies on a
mere suspicion in exercies of their criminal law powers.
Arbitrary Arrest Detention Exile (Jail in Andaman

and Nicobar Islands)
Preventive detention means, taking a person into police custody to prevent him
from doing a crime. Many a times, even to prevent the exercise of democratic rights,
police take people into custody on the name of law and order. Preventive detention
legally means detention of a person without trial and conviction by a court, but on the
suspicion in the mind of the executive of any act of crime. for example. during the
freedom struggle, the British government used to arrest people on flimsy grounds and
detain them for years together withou a trial; sometimes even used to send them to
undisclosed destination as exile.
Preventive detention is a common feature in many democracies including the
USA, Britain, and Canada. However, in these countries it is exercised only during war
time but not in peace time. In India, the Constitution of India has envisaged such a
situation for reasons of security, maintenance of peace and good order and or to
maintain supplies and services essential to the community. In India, the Legislature is
empowered to enact a legislation on preventive detention authorizing the executive to
take necessary steps. However, many a times, the abuse of power by law enforcing
agencies constitutes as a violation of human rights. The abuse of power by law
enforcing agencies lead to a boiling point, where in a number of undertrial accused
persons are languishing in Jails for years together without a judicial remedy. Taking
this situration into consideration, the Supreme Court of India laid down number of
guidelines from time to time to be followed by the law enforcing authorities to prevent
60
the abuse of human righs of innocent people. (D.K. Basu V. State of West Bengal, AIR 1997 SC610.,
Subesing V. State Haryana, AIR 2006SC 117, Ramlila Maidan, V. Home Secretary, MANU/SC/0131,2012, 3rd
Report of National Police Commision.)
This Article impose an obligation on the states, and the civil societies
across the world to prevent any type of misuse of powers especially in
detention. Detention literally and physically leads to violation of a
number of human rights such as right to freedom of movement,
speech, life and liberty etc. Guantanamo Bay shown in the picture
was converted as a Jail in 2002 by the US Government to exile and
punish the war prisoners of Afghanistan and Iraq. The treatment
meted out by the prisoners was deplorable from the prespective of
human rights. The situation was comparable to that of the practice adopted by the
British Government to many Indians in the Kalapani Jail in Andaman & Nicobar
Islands during the freedom struggle.
Article 10 (Right to a Fair Trial) :
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and
impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal
charge against him
According to this Article in any type of disputes (both civil and
criminal), a person has every right to defend his case through a court
of law or any other legal means that has been prevailed in a country.
The misuse of the procedures established by many states, especially in
the developed countries with respect to war crimes, as discussed above
in Article 9, the UN has taken the final call for the establishment of
International Criminal Court.
In India, due to lack of awareness among the various sections of
society about the legal nuances and the adequate knowledge of constitution, the law
enforcing authorities interfere in civil dispute and try to settle them acting as
mediators. Many a times, this constitutes as violation of human rights. For example,
especially in the villages across the country, the rich and powerful people often with the
help of law enforcing authorities try to settle their disputes in their favour preventing
the poor people from seeking judicial help. To prevent such situations, the Judiciary in
a number of dicisions condemned the procedures adopted by the law enforcing
authorities, and the practices adopted by the prosecution in the examination of a
witness in a case. Sadananda Bai, V. C.N. Ravi and ors W.P.(e) No 17400 of 2008, j
61
lakshamma and Anr V. Lakhmi @ land Aru v commisner of police and ors
MANU/AP/1189/2004.
Accordingly, the Judiciary in a number of dicisions from time to time
emphasized that the provisions of the article be read with the constitutional dictums. It
held that both in Criminal and Civil cases, the cases have to be heard by competent
judicial authority and dispose of the cases at the earliest possible time. Considering
the amount of delay in criminal cases, it ordered the lower courts to dispose of the
cases in an expeditious manner in order to augment the fundamental human rights of
the individuals.
Article 11 (Presumption of Innocence and no retroactive application of
Penal Laws) :
1. Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until
proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has all the guarantees
necessary for his defence.
2. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence because of any act or omission of any
act, which did not constitute a penal offence, under national, or international law, at
the time when it was committed. No heavy penalty is to
impose, than the one that was applicable at the time the penal
offence was committed.
The picture depicts the court scene of the International
Tribunal constituted by the victorious powers in 1945
(Allied powers USA, UK and others) of the second world
war to punish (Axis powers, defeated powers in the war
Nuremberg Trial After
Second World War
especially that of Germany and Japan) the architects of
war including Adolf Hitler for their crimes in violating peace and security of mankind.
This was the first trial in the history of International law, wherein it was held that
individuals may be punishable under international law, for the crimes committed
against humanity. With this judgment, individuals became a subject and object of
international law, though states being the main subjects of international law. The
tribunal's establishment proved the point beyond doubt that any guilty person,
occupying any high position to be punished legally by a competent court.
The Tokyo Tribunal was constituted in 1946 to try the war crimes of several
people belonging to Japan for their alleged crimes during the War period. The
dissenting opinion of the great Indian Jurist Radhabinod Pal has had a great impact
62
on the development of human rights in the modern

world, especially on the development of
International humanitarian law (otherwise known
as the International law of war to be practiced
during the period of war and after the war with
respect to the treatment of war criminals by the
victorious powers). The constitution of these two
The Famous Tokyo Tribunal fribunals led for the establisment of a number
adhoc courts in modern times especially in Rwauda, Yugoslavia etc. Taking into
consideration of constitution of such adnoc tribuanals and the deplorable practices
adoptted by them, led the UN to establish a permanent International Criminal Court
to stop constitution of such tribunals by the nation-states. These developments have a
great impact on the development of international law of crimes or international
criminal law.
The Article mainly advances four important principles. They are:
(a) The presumption of innocence: This principle advocates that every person
arrested on whatsoever reason of suspicion or charged with any criminal offence
including the gravest offence of murder, shall not be treated as guilty of the
charged offence until and unless established and proved by a court of law. This is
the reason why, in many countries there exist a provision to release a person on
some legal conditions (popularly known as bail) from the custody in order to
enable the person to exercise his or ther human rights or personal liberties
pending trial.
(b) The right to a defence: The word guarantee in the Article means, that any
person charged with any offence has freedom to defend the case until the crime is
proved and finalized by the highest court of a country. This is the reason why
appeals are made from lower court to Supreme Court of a country to exhaust all
available legal remedies. In case, if the person charged is a poor person and
unable to defend the case personally, it is the duty of state to provide legal
representation to the fullest extent to defend the case of such individual to
guarantee the human rights or fundamental rights as per the provisions of the
constitution of a country.
(c) The right to a public hearing: There is another important principle that no
person charged with a criminal offence is punishable without a proper trial by a
competent court of law. The principle has been developed on the legal adage
63
“justice should not only be done but should be seen to be done.” If any inquiry
or trial is conducted in secret, there may be a possibility to upset the apple cart of
justice. This may lead to violation of human rights of the accused without giving
a chance to the person, to prove his innocence or without being examined or
corroboration of evidence.
(d) Non-retroactivity of Law: This is another important principle to uphold the
promotion and protection of human rights. According to this principle, in no
circumstances a person shall be punished except by the law in force at the time of
commission of the crime. If any new law is, introduced increasing the quantum
of punishment after the period of trial shall not be applicable to the person
charged and punished for the proven crime.
(e) Double Jeopardy: Though not stated in the Article explicitly, it serves as an
automatic principle of human rights. This principle legally protects a person not
to be tried or punisned twice for the same offence. This is a constitutional
guarantee to every individual. This being a procedural part and guaranteed by
every nation through constitution or by the provisions of a legislative enactment.
It need to be adhered strictly without any deviance, by all the countries.
Article 12 (Right to Privacy) :

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home, or
correspondence, or to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the
protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
The word privacy derived from the Latin word “privatus” which means
separated from others. In other words, a person has the full freedom to live the way he
or she likes to live and without the interference of any body. Its origin is linked to the
theory of Natural law of rights, wherein the Individual is free to live the way he likes to
be. However, it should not affect on the rights of others. Basing on the common law
principle, the individual has full protection in person and property. Samuel D. Warren
(a Barrister), and Louis.d. Brandeis (former Judge of the Supreme Court of America)
in their Article in the Harvard Law Review, in 1890, introduced for the first time, the
legal concept of privacy in the American context. This Article is today considered as
the maiden piece in the development of law of privacy. Basing on this research work
number of changes have taken place in the legal system of America,which led for the
fourth amendment of the constitution recognising privacy as a fundamental right.
Alan Westin in his book Privacy and Freedom (1968) defines the right to privacy
64
as “Each individual is continually engaged in a personal adjustment process in which

he balances, the desire for privacy with the desire for disclosure, and communication
for himself to others in light of the environmental conditions and social norms set by
the society in which he lives”.
In the contemporary era of rapid expansion of science and technology (part of
cultural rights ) privacy became an important aspect . Today privacy covers a number
of areas including home, family honour and reputation. The implementation and
protection of this right is very important from a legal angle. In the Indian context, the
Constitution of India has not explicitly defined the right. However extending the
provisions of Article 21 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court of India enlisted it as a
part and parcel of right to life and liberty. In view of the intrusion of various players
through information technology into the data or tapping telephone conversations,
wire tapping etc., to match with many advanced countries, the Government of India is
also contemplating to bring in a new legislation guaranteeing right to privacy.
According to this Article, every individual whose information is sought by
anybody without the legal permission of a person, it violates the right to life, liberty,
and freedom of dignity. Accordingly, the Right to Information Act section 8
recognized privacy as an important aspect, which prevents information of personal
nature of a person.
Article 13 (Freedom of Movement, exit, and Re-entry) :

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence with the borders of each
state.
2. Everyone has the right to leave any country including his own and to return to his
country.
3. The above-mentioned rights shall not be subject to any restrictions except those which
are provided by law which are necessary to protect national security, public order,
public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others and are consistent with the
other rights recognized.
4. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter his own country.
The provisions of this Article ( para 3 and 4) were further expanded by International
Covenant on Civil and Political rights under Article 12.
According to the provisions of the Article, every individual has a right to move
freely across the borders of a country and to settle down wherever he likes. No one can
65
object the movement of a person on any ground whatsoever, especially on the basis of
sex, religion, language, etc. This right confers on the individual to move from one
country to another country freely subject to the provisions of law of that country and
international law. It means, even if a person leaves a country temporarily, one has the
right to return as long the person has not given up or relinquished his nationality.
The Article clearly specifies that it is not an absolute
right. It is subject to regulation by law. In the case of emergency
or internal strife or for any reason a state may prohibit the entry
of people to a particular place. This certainly constitutes a
deprivation of the right. However, due to circumstances beyond
the control on grounds of security, and to protect the interests of
people of the region, a state may resort to such steps.
Article 14 (Right to Asylum) :

1. Everyone has the right seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
2. This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-
political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United
Nations.
Asylum is an ancient juridical notion, which has been
developed to expel a subject or group of subjects for their
alleged violations of law of the land. According to the
general principles of international law, any non-national
of a country enters into another country either legally or
illegally to seek shelter temporarily for any reason
whatsoever it may be (the reasons may arise out of
political, social, economical, or cultural or legal issues.) that arose in his own country,
such shelter is referred to as asylum. It is the right of a state to grant permission to stay
in its country or not. In the ancient and medieval periods this power was used by states
in an indiscriminate manner. However, in the contemporary era, asylum is subject to
regulation of a number of treaties, wherein the states are under an obligation to extend
asylum to a person who seeks refugee in its territory. However, it cannot be demanded
as a matter of right states being soverigns, even after exhaustive legal regulations and
the covenants on human rights, asylum is a most controversial subject, and the states
still use it as their absolute discretionary power. To provide the benefits of this right, to
66
exercise freely, the UN is taking all possible steps to adopt a convention to regulate
discretionary power of states. Accordingly even tody it is nothing but the discretionary
power of a state to accord asylum.
Clause 2 of the Article provides the power to a state not to grant or refuse asylum
to persons who are criminals in a country, or persons who commit international
crimes or violators of international human rights or commit breach of peace and
security .
Article 15 (Right to Nationality) :

1. Everyone has the right to a nationality.
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to
change his nationality.
It is the aim of international law to establish the
one world concept, wherein there will be only
one state and the laws are universally applicable
without any territorial boundaries, wherein we
the people of the UN have one single nationality
that is as a member of mankind. It being an
utopian concept to establish one world and to
whither away the idea of a state, nationality still
plays an important role Nationality provides an identity and all kinds of legal
protection to an individual at all
times, whether residing in his own
country or abroad. Here one has to
note that citizenship used in some
countries as a synonym to nationality.
Strictly speaking, citizenship is not a
synonym to nationality. Life of Stateless persons
According to the general principles of international law, all persons are eligible to
have a nationality or citizenship of a country in the world. This alone enables people to
enjoy the guaranteed human rights. However, millions of people across the world are
without nationality of any country (otherwise referred to as stateless persons in
international law). Statelessness means a person not having any legal bond or
protection of a state. Such people are exposed to a number of difficulties including the
67
denial of basic human rights of life, liberty, and equality. Many a times they are subject
to target of various crimes by the state agencies, wherein they live as refugees. They
may not get even basic necessary services like social security, education, health care
etc. It is difficult to imagine such a kind of life. To prevent the situation the constant
efforts of the UN resulted in adopting a convention in 1954 - Convention relating to
the status of stateless persons. As of now, only around 65 states became parties to the
convention. This convention guarantees the basic rights to stateless persons, and
imposes obligations on the states parties to discharge their duties towards the
protection and promotion of their human rights.
In 1963 taking into consideration of reducing the increasing number of stateless
persons (refugees) it has adopted a Convention on the Reduction of Stateless Persons
for which only 37 states are parties. Apart from this, the UN has a Convention on
Refugees adopted in 1951. It has established an organ named as UN High
Commissioner for Refugees. The UNHCR mostly looks after the issues of stateless
persons and their needs. According to the available estimates, around 12-13 thousand
million stateless persons are residing across the world.
Apart from above treaties, all the treaties, conventions and covenants on human
rights dealing with general and specific rights (such as the Children rights Convention
etc) all have reiterated their commitment to end statelessness.
Article 16 (Right to Marry and Family Life) :

1. Men and women of full age without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion
have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal right as to
marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending
spouses.
3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to
protection by society and the state.
This article prohibits all discriminatory and customary practices, which are
illegal in the eye of law with respect to the institution of marriage. Though there exist a
number of differences in the structure, patterns of family in the world, the main aim of
the article is to protect the basic rights of individuals about their choice, and freedom to
marry whomsoever they want, and the non-interference in the marital issues. Since
the free and full consent raises a number of issues, the UN adopted a Convention on
68
the Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriage
adopted in 1962. According to provisions of the Convention, all types of marriages
including inter caste, inter religious are permissible, once if the spouses agree to each
other with full consent and knowing the consequences of such marriage depending on
the societal conditions wherein they live.
According to the provisions of the article and the convention, same sex
marriages, or live-in relationships are also permissible as a part of human right to life,
liberty and equality. In some countries, the above types of marriages are well
recognized. Judicial decisions in many countries, including India upheld such
marriages as extending the protection of individual's freedom, liberty and privacy.
Article 17 (Right to Property) :

1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
From ancient to modern times, one of the important aspects of man's life is
property. In the long drawn battle for the freedom of individual across the world,
property also constituted as a central issue. Accordingly, right to property ha been
recognised as an important right by the Declatation to lead a life with liberty and
dignity in a free and fair manner. To guarantee the other freedoms especially right to
life and liberty, right to property constitutes as one of the basic right.
In India, right to property was guaranteed as a fundamental right. However,
through the 44th amendment to the constitution in 1978, right to property converted as
a constitutional right from that of a fundamental right. By this change, it became
feasible for the Government to acquire any private property for public purpose by
paying lesser compensation than the market price to the landowners. The Supreme
Court in Radhye Shyam V Greater Nodia Corporation in July 2011, held that no
person could be deprived of his property, except by authority of law, and any law
invoked for personal purposes, which are beyond doubt that land acquired is not for
public purposes; such illegal motives of a state cannot take away a legal right. This
ensures that even as a constitutional right, it safeguards the property of a person as a
fundamental right.
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Article 18 (Freedom of thought, conscience and religion) :
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought conscience and religion; this right
includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community
with others and in public or private to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice,
worship, and observance.
Freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or
belief are the most essential fundamental freedoms
after life, liberty, and equality. They cannot be
suspended even in a state of emergency. Everyone
has right to practice his own religion and observe
the principles with faith, and belief without any
interference of anybody including the state. This
implies, people are free to wear the clothes that are required by the religion to perform
certain ceremonies or distinctive dress code that is prescribed by the religion. However,
the advent of terrorist strikes led some countries (France started interfering with the
freedom of Muslim women wearing a Burkha) and imposing fine. These acts of states
constitute as violations to the freedom of the individuals in observing their religious or
cultural faith.
The General Assembly in November 1981, adopted a resolution requesting
states to restrain from all forms of intolerance and discrimination against religious
faith and belief. In continuation of the resolution, the UN Human Rights Commission
(now Human Rights Council) adopted a good number of resolutions and framed a
number of principles to monitor the situation.
The Human Rights Council in 2010 adopted another resolution condemning all
derogatory practices by states parties towards the religious freedom and belief and
practices of individuals. It also reiterated the significance for the promotion of
freedom of thought conscience and religion without any discrimination. However, to
crystallize the provisions of the declaration and other legal documents, people learn to
live with harmony and allow everyone to practice their faith. That alone would yield
results and make it possible to realise the right in its fullest extent.
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Article 19 (Freedom of Opinion and Expression) :

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes
freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information
and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
This is an important pillar of democracy.
According to the provisions, media needs to
be free from the clutches of the state to
impart information and to express ideas of
people freely. This alone could help to
realise the aims of good governance of a
democracy. This right guarantees free speech and bans fear of expression. However,
any excess use of the freedom is not permissible. This includes write, speech and air the
views of a person through any mode of communication that is feasible. Basing on this
freedom only the right to information has been born. These freedoms though advocate
liberty of an individual to express freely, at the same time impose a responsibility on
every one of us to exercise the rights with due caution. At the sametime, necessary
restrictions may be imposed by state through legal regulation in order to protect the
life, liberty , decency and other freedoms of all the individuals.
Article 20 (Freedom of Assembly and Association) :

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
The previous article, and this one are having an inter link
with each other. Freedom of association is one of the
most important right to express their opinion either
individually or collectively. The International Labour
organization has adopted a number of conventions and
resolutions guaranteeing the freedom of workers to form an association to express
their legitimate demands and to secure justice from the inimical activities of their
employers. Many marches including freedom marche play a vital role in keeping
pressure on a government to discharge its constitutional obligations. On the other
hand, a government many a times employ methods to restrict such movements. These
may be justified at times but not always.
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Article 21 (Participation in Government) :
1. Everyone has the right to take part in the Government of his country directly or
through freely chosen representatives.
2. Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country
The will of the people shall be basis of the authority of Government. This will
shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and
equal suffrage and be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
This article reiterates the
principle of Abraham
Lincoln, the former
President of US who stated
Government of the people,
for the people, by the
people. In a democracy,
there is no place for anybody to claim that some are superiors by occupying the
ministerial posts. All the officers, ministers and the head of a state have to bear in mind
at all times, that they are only representing the people who have elected them to govern
for a particular period. It is the democracy alone which could win the hearts of the
people and only through democracy, one can be able to render their best for the
progressive augmentation of human rights.
To sustain the spirit of democracy, it is the duty of the state to conduct elections
from grass root level (panchayats in a village) to Parliament at regular periodic
intervals. No deviation is permissible in any manner, which may lead to dictatorship.
The recent agitations in Middle East are the example wherein people may not allow
any government to overpower their rights with an iron hand. It is the duty of every
individual to take part in the governance in whatever manner; they could contribute,
according to the capabilities of each individual. It indirectly brings in the duty that
since the state and its property belongs to the people, all the people in every country
have a duty not to resort to violence or destroy the property of the state. The peaceful
raise of voice alone can bring in change. This article indirectly advocates "ahimsa"
principle of Mahatama Gandhi to be followed at all times to establish peace and
security on the globe and to realise the human rights in a democratic manner.
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Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

To exercise the claim rights (civil and political rights), and to enjoy the other
basic rights of life, liberty, and equality, these constitute as the most vital rights. They
are directives to the state to fulfill the wishes of the people and provide the methods
and means for the sustainability of mankind. However, in many countries including
India, judiciary started interpreting them as part and parcel of claim rights. The Indian
Supreme Court in no uncertain terms expressed that if the non-justiciable (Economic,
Social and cultural rights) rights have a bearing on the exercise of the justiciable rights
(civil and Political rights) they assume the character of claim rights, and it thus
constitutes as a duty of the state to extend protection. But, these being only directives
or non-justiciable in their sphere, their character cannot be changed. If at any time the
judiciary or any other organ (mostly international organs) directs them to implement,
states many a times come up with the plea of economic, social and cultural aspects
may hamper their implementation. All of us need these rights, and it is the duty of
everyone both at the international and national level to strive for the achievement of
these rights. The success of implementation and the enjoyment of these rights alone
guarantee the freedoms of the individuals and could lead us to establish a conflict free
world.
Article 22 (Economic, Social and cultural Rights):

Everyone as a member of society has the right to social security and is entitled to
realization through national effort and international cooperation and in accordance with
the organization and resources of each state of the economic social and cultural rights
indispensable for his dignity and the freedom of his personality.
From this article till Article 27 deals with the economic, social and cultural
rights. These articles aim to realize the necessities of mankind. These articles are the
basic articles for the full development of mankind and the realization of human rights.
Though these articles are placed as second part in the declaration, later it was realized
by the UN that without the basic needs man might not be able to exercise his civil and
political rights fully. Accordingly, at the time of implementation of covenants, the
Economic, Social, Cultural Rights covenant became the first and the Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights became the second.
While the UN considering the independence obtained by many states in the
fifties and sixties the plight of their people and the economic scenario in which most of
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them were placed, to guarantee the rights of economic, social and cultural nature, it
took steps at quick succession and adopted the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural rights as the basic one in 1966. These few articles were expanded in
the Covenant in detail, which have had a great impact on every branch of knowledge,
and later on a number of agreements, treaties including the agreements of trade.
According to this article, it is the priority of the nation states at the individual
level and at the international level to strive for the promotion of the basic needs of the
individuals at all times. The resources of the world need to be shared by everybody
equally without any vested interest. No state or group of states (particularly the
developed states) could claim unilaterally sovereignty over the resources. Accordingly,
to achieve the spirit of the convention, the Outer Space, the High Seas, the Antarctic,
and other zones have been declared as no man's land. In these areas, no state can
explore and exploit the resources without a license from the UN. During the licensing
period, states or their representative has to explore the resources, and pay the amount
of resources fixed at the award of the contract to the UN. The UN will in turn
distribute the resources to the poorer states to develop economically.
The spirit of this article led for the evolution of reservations or concessions at the
international level long back by the developed states to developing states in their
numerous relations. These concessions include in trade, sharing of resources, science
and technology, and every possible other area to make them self sufficient to
participate in an equal manner. The same philosophy has been carried out by many
states at the national level to people those who are in need of the support of the state.
These rights are part of several constitutions including India. These are referred to as
Directive Principles of State Policy in India.
This article further asserts that it is the duty of national governments to provide
minimum social security to every individual particularly, with respect to basic
requirements like education, health, and minimum maintenance allowance etc. The
article one side advocates self development, determination and on the other hand,
imposes a responsibility on every stake holder to maintain balance between
development, growth, and sustainability of resources for the future generations.
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Article 23 (Right to Work) :

1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable
conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
2. Everyone, without any discrimination has the right to equal pay for equal work.
3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for
himself and his family an existence worth of human dignity, and supplemented, if
necessary, by other means of social protection.
4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection his interests.
This article is another important one among the various
economic, social, and cultural rights. The other rights in this
category, such as right to food, right to life, right to health,
right to social security are positive rights, whereas right to
work has both positive and negative elements. The negative
aspect of it imposes a responsibility on every one, to earn
their livelihood only by moral and legal means. Any type of
work chosen by a person needs the approval of the society,
and the law of the land. Further, it imposes another
restriction on individual to be involved in the process of
development of society by contributing their share of knowledge to the state for its
economic progress. There is no place for anybody to expect their livelihood without
engaging themselves in some sort of work according to their capacity. At the same
time, it imposes a responsibility indirectly on everyone to take care of children and
older people through their earning capacity. Furthermore, in order to claim human
dignity it prohibits such works, which are inhumane in nature like manual scavenging
etc as works to be undertaken.
In the positive side, it advocates that work is a basic human right. This implies
that everyone has to participate in the production and other activities of income
generation of the society and state. By such participation, it automatically brings in an
obligation on everyone to respect the other person, whatever, the work that they like to
engage in. It is the duty of all employers to pay the remuneration which is equivalent to
their daily living as per the law of each country.
In order to promote this right and to form as association as discussed above (Arts.
18-20) play a crucial role. The UN through the International Labour organization
monitors various aspects relating to the rights and obligations of the employers and
75
employees. The ILO has a unique structure among all the organs of the UN. It has a
tripartite structure, wherein the States, employers and the workers together participate
in the decision making process. In order to improve the economic and social quality
of work, and social security apart from all other organs, the Economic and Social
Council regularly monitors the work and frames the policy formulations to be adopted
by the states.
This article further, guarantees the right to work of migrant workers either within
the territorial frontiers of a country or people who flee from one country to another
country due to physical, economic, social, or political reasons. In order to protect the
rights of migrant workers, the UN in 1990 adopted a Convention on the Protection of
the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, which came into
force in 2003. The Committee of Migrant Workers coordinates with the member
countries and the UN bodies to ensure their rights. However, it is to be noted that many
of the labour welfare conventions including the above one are not ratified by many
states including India.
Article 24 (Right to Rest and Leisure) :

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure including reasonable limitation of working
hours and periodic holidays with pay.
This article ensures the policies adopted by the International Labour
Organisation that every employee and worker has to have limited number of work
hours. According to the regulations of the ILO, no person is employed more than 8
hours work per day. However, it differs from the categories of people up to a maximum
of 12 hours per day. In the case of women and children, they cannot be employed in
certain avocations, which are dangerous to their health. Children below the age of 14
years cannot be employed. They have to have not more than 6 hours of work for a day.
Women and children cannot be employed after 7 p.m. in the evening. All the workers
need to have weekly holidays and other holidays as per the law of each country or
region. These provisions will be applicable to all types of employees especially strictly
be implemented in the case of regular employees' who are on pay roll of an
employment. All workers are eligible for compensation of work, in case of accident or
death, and for pension and other benefits after retirement.
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Article 25 (Right to an adequate standard of living and health) :

1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being
of himself and of his family, including food, clothing housing and medical care and
necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment,
sickness, disability widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances
beyond his control.
2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children,
whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
This article highlights the significance of
basic minimum needs that every individual
requires to lead a life to satisfy the
necessities such as food, clothing,
household requirements, and common
minimum standards of water, light,
sanitation, pollution free environment,
health, and education. This article again
reiterates that everyone be provided with work, and to enjoy the freedoms. This article
has a link with many other provisions of the International Covenant on Economic
Social and Cultural Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It
reiterates that it is the duty of the society and the state to provide the necessary means
of livelihood. The state has an onerous responsibility to encourage the development of
science and technology, which are highly essential tools for the progressive
development. In this regard, to help the states to achieve the minimum standards of
living to provide for people at the national level, the UN adopted a number of
international instruments. These instruments in turn, guaranteed the right to free
exploitation of resources, and right to self determination. In fact, this right has further
augmented the right to development as another important component.
This article imposes an obligation on the states to achieve adequate levels of
nutrition, to eliminate hunger, and malnutrition. The various organs of the UN and
the other bodies including International Monetary Fund and World Bank have an
obligation to extend sufficient loans to developing states at minimal interest rates.
Among all the organs of the UN, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) regularly engage a number of
researchers to evolve strategies to meet the required basic needs.
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The UNDP has launched a programme called Habitat. Accordingly, the
programmes implemented by the states are reviewed periodically. Basing on the
review, remedial mechanism is evolved to rectify the defects, if any are there, to
achieve the eight important goals of the Millennium. Under the programme, UNDP
involves a number of players (which include, states, individuals and NGO's) as
partners to implement its ideals. These
programmes are monitored by the
nation-states through the Annual
sessions of the General Assembly, and
frames the agenda every year to achieve
Focusing on the ways Are we ready to achieve the the targets.
and means by UNDP Millennium goals
It further highlights the significance of right to health including the prevention of

communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS and other common diseases. The clarion call
of this article imposes a duty on everyone, to use the resources carefully without any
wastage, and protect them for the future generations. It also reminds everyone to ban
illegal trafficking of human beings and the cruelest profession of prostitution in
whatever form or method that is in existence. This article further guarantee, the rights
of people of third sex. It imposes a responsibility on every one of us not to adopt or
resort to any derogatory practices that affect the life, liberty, and freedom of others at
any time.
It also imposes a responsibility to protect the rights of mentally infirm people, old
people, and all others who have no source of income generating capacity to be taken
care by the society. If a state is unable to provide employment of any kind, it is the duty
of the state to pay a minimum honorarium to lead a life.
A great majority of population in many of the developing states are poor. It is the
responsibility of these states to evole policies to provide better living conditions to their
population to wipe out the tears from every human eye as parties to a number of
human rights instruments. Along with the states, we the people of the United Nations
(especially the rich and other economically sound people including the private
corporations) have also an onerous duty to share our resources to the extent possible to
assist the people in need and contribute our might for the development of society, and
international community as members. In fact, many Non-Governmental
Organizations, philanthropists are already involved in rendering their best. However,
they are not adequate to meet the growing demands of people. It is the duty of every
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one of us to render our best in extending a helping hand to the best possible extent.
Article 26 (Right to Education) :

1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free at least in the elementary
and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and
professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall
be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to
the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall
promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations racial or religious
groups and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of
peace.
3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their
children.
This article confers the basic right to education to everyone. According to this,
education should serve the purpose for which it is to pursue. This conjoins the saying
and the philosophy advocated by Swami Vivekanda educating ourselves with values,
morals and with a particular purpose to serve the needs of the society and as well
oneself. Knowledge is inherent in every body. It can be sharpened only when it is
tapped in a proper perspective. This article emphasis the importance of eduction as a
tool to enrich people to enjoy their rights guaranteed both nationally and
Internationally. Accordingly, it aims to achieve the following goals. They are:
a) Education to everyone alone promotes the strengthening of respect and helps for the
promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
b) The full development of the human personality and the sense of its dignity could be
achieved only when the significance of human person is realized
c) It helps to understanding, tolerance, promotes gender equality and friendship with all
other human beings across the world.
d) It promotes compassionate behavior towards other vulnerable groups, such as refugees,
mentally and physically infirm people, old aged persons, children, and third sex and
socially economically culturally disadvantaged sections, and promote to end racist,
linguist, religious, etc.
e) It enables all people to take part freely and effectively in the development of society
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and states, economically, politically, socially, legally and culturally.
f) Education alone provides a goal to achieve the objectives of human rights, by
inculcating values, morals, and ethical perspectives of mankind.
g) It enables to achieve the United Nations and the Objective of international law to
establish peace and security on the globe.
In order to achieve these main goals which contribute for the furtherance of
common brotherhood and one world concepts, the United Nations Education,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) formulates a number of policies and
programmes to help the states to achieve cent percent literacy. The UN Millennium
Summit and the World Conference also highlighted the significance in no uncertain
terms. Accordingly, the UN declared 2005-2014 as the Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development. It hopes to achieve literacy to a maximum extent. This
article further highlights that though parents have the right to choose the kind of
education that their children have to undertake, this doesn't mean that they have an
absolute right to force the kind of education against the wishes of their children.In
tune with the policy perspectives of the UN and other international organizations, the
Government of India has adopted the Right to Education Act 2010, making education
as a compulsory aspect for every citizen of India.
Article 27 (Right to Culture) :

1. Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community to
enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting
from any scientific literary or artistic product of which he is the author.
The UNESCO has a specific instruction to achieve the objects of this article. It
has adopted a number of conventions dealing with various avocations for the
promotion of cultural and scientific activities. According to this article, no one has a
right to degrade the culture or any aspect of cultural perspective including language
under any circumstances. Every culture of every society needs to be honoured,
respected, and be promoted. The knowledge acquired through scientific and
technological inputs need to be useful for the advancement of the rights and
fundamental freedoms of mankind. It imposes an obligation on the states and
individuals to share their scientific and technological skills for the development of
mankind in whatever way it is possible.
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In this regard, to promote the scientific and technological advancement, and to

encourage individuals across the world, actively to involve in, for the promotion and
dissemination of knowledge, the Intellectual property rights recognized by
international law constitute as human rights, but not as monopoly or proprietary
rights. The limited protection given to individuals is only in recognition of their hard
work, for the promotion and advancement of scientific and technological knowledge.
The recognition and such strict resume alone motivate individuals to undertake
research for the furtherance of the development of the mankind and resources of the
world. This provision is an extension the previous article of right to education as a
human right.
This article makes it sure that the advancement of science and technology is only
for the welfare of society in general and mankind in particular. Any advancement of
science and technology that creates danger to the mankind is prohibited. In fact,
international law of disarmament imposes a responsibility on states not to use their
lethal and dangerous weapons, which may wipe out the mankind as a whole. It further
reiterates, science and technology as a part and parcel of education and cultural
human rights any invention should subserve the interests of mankind as a whole.
Accordingly science & technology and practitioners of it has a wider responsibility to
advance their knowledge to help the mankind to sustain peace and security and
integrate with the objectives of the international community.
Article 28 (Social and International Order) :

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and
freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
This is the most important article of the Declaration. This article has both
positive and negative aspects on the international community as a whole. On the
positive side, it ensures the freedom of life and liberty to be enjoyed by every person as
a subject of international community without any discrimination whatsoever it may
be.
On the negative side, it casts a responsibility on the nation-states to discharge
their responsibilities, which they have voluntarily accepted to abide by the principles
of international law. This article further, imposes responsibility on the international
actors namely states, to evolve policy perspectives, developmental schemes and the
necessity to evolve methods and techniques to share the resources of the world on an
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equitable basis. Inspite of generations of concentrated international action to
development, the gap that exists between the rich and poor countries is widening
instead of bridging it up. It brings forth the onerous task of the international
community, including the UN to evolve more stringent steps and policies to evolve in
nurturing the aspirations of the mankind, in the realization of fundamental freedoms
for which they promised to live through international law.
It further reiterates that it is the duty of the states, to abide by the principles of
international law without any deviation, and observe the principles of various
instruments of human rights by concentrated dialogue to adhere to all the instruments
without resorting to reservations. It also imposes a responsibility on the states, to stop
all destructive efforts to human environment, peace, and security by strict adherence
to the principles of international law of human rights.
At the same time, it imposes an obligation on the people of each country to press
for resolution of disputes between nation states, and to observe the human rights
standards, which they have drafted or adopted. This means, the significance of
Human Rights Education is an important aspect for the world community, to achieve
the objectives of international law of human rights. It is the onerous duty of states to
change their behavioral patterns with a common goal to wipe the tears of mankind and
to save the succeeding generations not only from the scourge of war but from the
economic, social and cultural inequality.
Article 29 (Duties and Limitations):

1. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of
his personality is possible.
2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms everyone shall be subject only to such
limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition
and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements
of morality, public order and general welfare in a democratic society.
3. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and
principles of the United Nations.
This article is the crucial one and the most important one to be followed by
mankind, to realise and to enjoy the benefits of rights that are guaranteed in the
Declaration. This reiterates the significance of duties that play an important role in
the promotion, exercise and the realization of human rights.
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This article again establishes the link between economic, social, and cultural
rights and civil, and political rights, on one hand, on the other hand, the practice that
the international community and individuals around the world need to observe strictly
for the promotion of dignity of life, liberty, and freedom of every individual. An
analysis of this article as discussed in unit two; imposes only responsibilities and not
an automatic sanction of rights to be alone enjoyed. This further reiterates that the
provisions stated in article 28 need to be strictly adhered by states in the better
augmentation of the resources of the world community.
This article recognized the principle of Lord Gautham Buddha that there is an
inherent link exists between law, society, individual, and the world community. It is
our duty to remember always that there is a continuous inter-relationship,
indivisibility, interdependence, love and affection exists between individuals. The
compassionate exercise of these aspects towards mankind with tolerance alone helps
to achieve the full realization of human rights. The contemporary owes of the
mankind are not because of someone, but because of everyone of us for not adhering
to duties, or sincerely discharging obligations that we owe as partners of society in the
national and international community.
The second paragraph imposes restrictions on the states too as actors of
international community. States too as legal persons representing their people have to
bear in always that it is their behavior at a higher place as sovereigns will only guide,
and establish responsible national communities. They need to discharge their
obligations and settle their disputes in good faith and as torch bearers of peace need to
be rule bound in their relations rather than resort to political or any other
considerations. If they observe human rights without any deviation in true spirit, then
they could supervise the practices of their citizens, and could assist them in rendering
their best assistance in the realization of fundamental freedoms.
Part three of the article, states that as members of the international community,
both states and we the people of the United Nations only have responsibilities to
discharge our duties, strictly adhering to the principles of the Charter. If we deviate,
then UN as a collective body cannot achieve the objects single handedly, and to blame
it for the miseries or sorrows is of no consequence.
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Article 30 (No Abuse of Rights) :
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any state, group or
person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of
any of the rights and freedoms set forth therein.
The last provision is the most important one, compared to all the articles set forth
in the Declaration. from the picture it is clear that if any individual or state either
interprets the provisions for their own selfish
interests, it means only destruction of the
fundamental freedoms of the individual. This
article enshrines that every time, all the actors need
to act legally, and exercise their duties with great
care and precision without any recklessness
towards life, liberty, equality, and fraternity of
others.
If any time any one of us act with selfish motives, or discharge our duties in a
negligent manner, or discharge them without any adherence to respect for the rights
of others, it ultimately result in miseries. Further, the concepts of peace, security, and
one world, or single mankind, freedoms of life, liberty, and equality remain as ideals
alone. The deviation further results in bringing anarchical tendencies, and other
associated miseries to mankind not only to present generations, but also for the future
generations.
The last principle underlines once again, in theory and practices both the states
and individuals as partners and actors of international community need to comply
with the principles of law and justice with strict adherence. The strict practice of
duties alone will bloom the culture of human rights. Such practices alone wipe the
miseries of the contemporary world. This will result to achive long lasting solutions to
establish peace and security.
Summary:
The concept of Human Rights was first stated in the Provisions of the Charter of
the UN in 1945. In order to expand them, it later constituted a human rights
committee. Basing on the draft prepared by the Committee on December 10, 1948 the
General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As a mark of
respect, every year, December 10 is celebrated as the Human Rights Day.
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The Declaration is a most significant one in the history of human rights. It

constituted as a basis for the adoption of number of Declarations, Covenants, and
Conventions on human rights. The expansion of this declaration later crystallized into
Economic, Socio, and Cultural rights, Civil and Political Rights Covenants and
Conventions of group rights such as women, children, disabled etc. The adoption of
the declaration has brought in radical changes in the international and national legal
arena. It recognises rights of both the nation-states and the individuals. With its
adoption, people across many of the colonies in the world could secure independence
and establish a government of their choice.
Every provision of the declaration innately advocates that everyone has a duty to
discharge before claiming the right. If one is not able to discharge a duty, then the fruit
of right is also imperfect. All the problems that are facing the world, especially, those
of them identified in the Millennium goals are due to lack of strict adherence of duties.
CONCLUSION
The efforts of the individual states led for the recognition of human rights in
international law in 1945. The UN Charter adopted with an aim to protect and uplift
the Human Rights of Individuals at all times. The UN in order to achieve these
objectives adopted a number of Conventions, Covenants, Declarations, and
resolutions. It has created an international mechanism, Commission on Human
Rights ( presently referred to as Human Rights Council and a High Commissioner for
Human Rights) to oversee the activities of the states and to protect the rights of the
individuals.
Apart from the United Nations, it is the duty of nation-states and we the people
of the United Nations to practice the culture of human rights. It implies subtly that
every one of us (individuals and States), both at the national and international
scenario need to discharge our duties at all times without any deviance. The strict
adherence to human rights alone would end the maladies of the present day world and
bring back the glory of respect to humanity and mankind. Only then, it would be
possible to claim, liberty, equality, freedom of speech and expression the way they
have been crafted to achieve the ideals of peace and security to mankind.
Near home, a number of ancient texts and philosophers have advocated the same
for the promotion of the concept of one world with a harmonious society of living in
Unity and diversity. If we practice at the national level, certainly it will have an impact
85
on the course of action in the psychological behaviour of states to stop the practice of
Machiavellian tactics in their international relations with each other and to follow
strictly human rights.
The strict adherence to human rights is nothing but to adopt oneself to the value
system either at the individual level or at societial level would only envisage in realising
the objectives of human rights.
With these objectives, a number of efforts are initiated across the World for the
dissemination and propagation of human rights for their better augmentation. With
the same motive, to help the polity of India to regain its glorious Past, and to achieve
the Sarvodaya Concept of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, (which in turn
led the international community to emulate) and to secure the concept of social
justice of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the University of Pune's this programme is to be
appreciated for inculcating the culture of human rights, to its young battalion of
students, to mould them as responsible future citizens.
86
One Word Answer Questions

1. On which organ of the UN does Art 13 the Charter impose responsibility for
the promotion of human rights?
(A) General Assembly
2. What is signified by Bonder Labour ?
(A) Debt to a Rich Man
3. The International Criminal Court is Located in which Country?
(A) The Netherlands ( Remember if Netherlands is written
without The, The answer will be wrong)
4. Double Jeopardy means………..
(A) No punishment twice for a same offence
5. Which organisation of UN Deals with the rights of Labour?
(A) International Labour Organisation
Multiple Choice Questions:

1. In which year was the UDHR was adopted by the United Nations?
(A) 1947 (B) 1948 (C) 1945 (D) 1984
2. Which article deals with the concept of Slavery?
(A) Article 3 (B) Article 5 (C) Article 6 (D) Article 4
3. Who donated the peace bell to the United Nations?
(A) Kapil Dev (B) Sachin Tendulkar (C) Vinod Kamble (D) George Bush
4. Who was the Chairman of drafting Committee of UDHR?
(A) Margret Thatcher (B) Indira Gandhi (C) Eleanor Roosevelt
(D) Srimavo Bandaranayke
5. In which year was the World Conference on Human Rights was
conducted?
(A) 1993 (B) 1992 (C) 1995 (D) 1996
Answers : 1) B 2) D 3) B 4) C 5) A
87
General Information
The Model questions given in each Unit is indicative in nature only. They may
consist more than these two patterns. They may be matching, are asking questions by
giving a paragraph, and answer the questions from that paragraph, or logical questions
etc. All thes will be only in this format of ticking as they need to be evaluated by a
computer. No written answer questions will be there.
ANNEXURE
Suggestive Reading Materials:
1. Books
Vast literature is available on Human Rights. The few reading specified here only are
suggestive:
Leah Levin: Human Rights ( Questions and Answers) National Book Trust
m
India, New Delhi, 1992
ABC Teaching of Human Rights: Centre for Human Rights, UN Publication,
m
NewYork, 1989
Rokeah,M: The Nature of Human Values, New York: The Free Press, 1973
m
Malcolm N. Shaw, International Law, Sixth Edition, Cambridge University
m
Press. (Chapter VI- The international protection of Human rights, and VII- the
regional protection of Human rights.) , 2008
L. Oppenhim: International Law ( Edited by Sir Robert Jennings and Sir Arthur
m
Watts) 9th edition Vol.1 Part 2 to 4 Chapter 8 for Human Rights Chapter 14 & 15
for International Legal Instruments, 1992, Longman , London
Ishay: Human Rights Reader; Routledge (second Edition) 2007
m
Encyclopedia of Human Rights : 5 volumes; Oxford University Press; 2009
m
Daniel Fishlin & Marth Nandorfy: The concise guide to Global Human Rights;
m
Oxford University Press; 2007
Justice D.M. Dharmadikari: Human Values and Human Rights: Universal
m
Publications, New Delhi,2010
Jaswal S.S., Introduction to Human Rights and Duties, Vikas Publishing Hours
m
Pvt. Ltd.,
88
2. Journals and Documents :

UN General Assembly Resolution on Human Rights Education:
m
A/59/525/Rev.1 dated 2 March,2005Marko Milanovic: Is the Rome Statute
Binding on Individuals?(And Why we Should Care) Journal of International
Criminal Justice vol.9, 2011,25-52
Christine Min Wotipka and Kiyoteru Tsutsui: Global Human rights and State
m
Sovereignty: State Ratification of International Human Rights Treties,1965-
2001; Sociological Forum; Vol,23; No.4 2008,724-752
R.B. BRandit: The Concept of Obligation and Duty; Mind, Oxford Journals,
m
Vol. 73, No. 291, July 1964; pp..374-393
John H. Knox: Horizontal Human Rights Law; The American Journal of
m
International Law , Vol.102, 2008, p.1-47
Joan Mesquida Sampol: Duty Moral and Political; http://ivr-
m
enc.info/index.php?title=Duty-Moral and Political \
Syela BenHabib Another Universalism: On the Unity and Diversity of Human
m
Rights; ,Proceedings and Address of the American Philosophical Association;
81, No. 2, 2007, 1-32 available on the JSTOR journals blog
American Consulate Library: Human Rights Education , 2002
m
Reports :
mfor cases of various courts see : All India Reporter, Superme Court Cases,
Weekly Law Reports, etc. may be consuleted.
m Reports of the National Police Commission.
m Reports of the National Human Rights Commission.
m UN Human Rights Council and Other Organs of the UN at indepandent
websites of each organisation.
m Reports of various Non-Governmental Organisations such as Amensty
International, Human Rights Watch, PUCL, Commonwealth Human Rights
Association etc.
89
3. Referance of Acknowledgement of Web Sites :
Human Rights (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy;

http://www. plato.stanford.edu/entries/right-human also see for values, Rights the above
web address. http://www.Wikipedia.
Andrew Clapham : Human Rights Lexion, Oxofrd University Press; 2005; also see Human
Rights A very short Introduction; 2007, Oxford University Press
Magdalena Sepulveda and others: Human Rights : Reference Hand Book, 2004 University for
Peace of the United Nations
http://www.Un.Org see the section on Human Rights and the various links provided by UN.
Wikipedia the free encyclopedia of the Web Campbell, Kenneth, "Legal Rights", The
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL =
<http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2011/entries/legal-rights
siteshttp://resources.lawyersnjurists.com/research-
papers/assignments/law/jurisprudence/hohfeld%E2%80%99s-analysis-of-irghts
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Info:Main_Page
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Info:Main_Page
http://mshrc.maharashtra.gov.in/Article/upload/TheImportanceofH.R.Education%20%2
0.pdf
References of acknowledgement of the web pages for images inserted in the study material.
pbcopelika.org
http://www.freshnetworks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/photo-
online_community.jpg
http://possibilitiesunlimited.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/community.jpg
http://www.aishdas.org/gallery/Community.jpg
http://international.phillipmartin.info/intl_global_community.gif
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/s/a/sam50/Human%20Rights%20Abuse.jpg
http://www.onedayforhumanrights.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/universal-
declaration-of-human-rights.jpg
90
http://www.mynews.in/dailyimage/news/peace.jpg
http://c.tadst.com/gfx/stock/human-rights-day.jpg
http://www.humanrightsinternational.org/fileadmin/user_upload/495x268/iStock_00000
2055601Small.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ea/United_Nations_Human_Rights
_Council_Logo.svg/220px-United_Nations_Human_Rights_Council_Logo.svg.png
http://www.gaypasg.org/gaypasg/PressClippings/2006/Dec/UN%20logo.jpg
http://www.wnd.com/images/UnitedNations1.jpg
http://www.norwayosce.org/NR/rdonlyres/1BCD8E86E48048009D26C44287A4C90A/121265/3261
66.jpg
http://www.humanrights.com/sites/default/files/dove.jpg
http://nation.com.pk/uploads/news_image/large/LibyasuspendedfromUNHumanRights
Council_20135.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/UN_Members_Flags.JPG
/800px-UN_Members_Flags.JPG
http://www.financialpost.com/todays-paper/4978128.bin?size=620x465
http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/untour/imgjap.jpg
http://spaceformusic.com/symposium2000/images/bellrendering.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XxAah_3epfI/TQEj7Bv_NXI/AAAAAAAABNg/kQSHPiuv
zIY/s1600/HUMAN%2BRIGHTS%2BFOR%2BALL.gif
http://www.presentationsistersunion.org/_uploads/fckpg/HumanDignityHumanRights_
W_9.jpg
http://www.farmingfirst.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/mdg_logo.jpg
http://www.iowaepiscopal.org/images/photos/mdgcross.jpg
http://www.tidec.org/Visuals/Tidetalk/Network%20articles/Millenium%20goals/web-
mill-goals.gif
http://www.un.am/thumb.php?file=2437&width=480&height=640
http://www.essex.ac.uk/eo/stylesheets/Different%20People%20Poster%20cropped.JPG
91
http://www.antislavery.org/images/2008/b/2_bonded_labour_family_sq.jpg
http://www.cfob.org/images/labor1.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lDmEgaE9Tek/TKFOQXci2DI/AAAAAAAAADI/bIWeIcp
Kfv4/s1600/couvert-depliant-cover-guide2-eng.jpg
http://www.trivester.com/static/images/news/human_trafficking_slavery.png
http://news4u.co.in/human%20trafficking%20victims.jpg
http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/49600/49653/49653_free_mason_lg.gif
h t t p : / / w w w. u n i t y c o r p s . o r g / i m a g e s / u n i t y - a r t / 2 0 0 4 / w i n t e r / s o n i a -
jimenez/unity_432x328.jpg
http://www.indiamike.com/india/attachments/6888d1197803283-andaman-trip-report-
and-photos-cellular-jail.jpg
http://notenoughgood.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/man-behind-
bars_bxp357761.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HoDij8Z2tHY/S5E3vR0OSYI/AAAAAAAADzM/zG9XO7
2XFOs/s320/Chart+of+Human+Rights.jpg
http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/37/3790/2HEIF00Z/posters/morse-ralph-
s c e n e - i n - t h e - c o u r t r o o m - d u r i n g - t h e - 3 r d - d ay - s e s s i o n - o f - t h e - n u r e m b e r g -
trial.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/IMTFE_court_
chamber.jpg/300px-IMTFE_court_chamber.jpg
h t t p : / / d a c c e s s - d d s -
ny.un.org/doc//UNDOC/GEN/N99/770/89/PDF/N9977089.pdf ?OpenElement)
92
This chart is a sum up of the rights discussed above.
About the Author
Dr.T.S.N.Sastry is a senior teacher spanning over more than

two decades of teaching, and research experience , especially in the
fields of international law and human rights. He authored a book on
International Law of State Succession, and edited three books on
Human Rights and Constitution. He Published a number of
research papers in journals of repute on International Law, Human
Rights and Constitution of India. He is currently an academic
fellow of the Erasmus Mundus External Window Lot 13. Dr. Sastry
delivered lectures on various areas of international law, human rights
in a number of Indian and foreign Universities. He was the fellow
under the cultural exchange programme of the Government of
France. He received Vijaya Shree Award from the India
International Friendship Society, New Delhi in 2005 for his efforts
for the propagation of Human Rights Education.
Dr. Sastry was responsible in establishing the UGC Centre for
Human Rights and Duties Education in 1997 in the Pondicherry
University. As a founder coordinator of the centre, he conducted a
number of programmes, seminars, and conferences for the
propagation of human rights, apart from the academic programmes
leading to research and teaching in human rights. He served as
Dean, Director, and Controller of Examinations and as a member of
a number of academic bodies. Presently he is the Academic Council
Member and Visiting Professor of the Chanakya National Law
University, Patna.
Dr. Sastry conducted a number of seminars, and the founder of
the Post Graduate Moot Court Competition, and a Placement Cell
in the traditional set up of Law Departments in a University system.

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What topics are covered in the first course?

What topics are covered in the first course?

What topics are covered in the second course?

What topics are covered in the second course?

The syllabus

Introduction to Human Rights and Duties

II) Perspectives of Rights and Duties

III) Introduction to Terminology of Various Legal Instruments

Human rights of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups

a) Human Rights and Women's Rights –International and National Standards

III) Status of Social and Economically Disadvantaged people

a) Status of Indigenous People and the Role of the UN

IV) Human rights of vulnerable groups

I. Human Rights in Indian Context

II. Human Rights- Enforcement Mechanism

III. Human Rights Violations and Indian Polity

1 Note on Legal Instruments 29

Dr. R.K. Shevgaonkar

This work is a culmination of the idea of propagation about the objectives of

Ethics and Morals

Meaning and Significance of Human Rights Education

Objectives of Human Rights Education

Answer : (1) D (2) A (3) D (4) B

Perspective of Rights and Duties

Claim Rights and Liberty Rights

Positive And Negative Rights

Individual and Group Rights

(B) Nature and Concept of Duties

The different types of duties

The Duties of States

The Responsibilities of Everyone

The Role of National Law

Impact of Duty on the Society

The duties towards society are:

Inter Relationship between Rights and Duties

INTRODUCTION TO TERMINOLOGY OF VARIOUS LEGAL INSTRUMENTS

NOTE ON LEGAL INSTRUMENTS

new principles of international law or codify to accept existing customary norms to

Convention and Covenant

UNITED NATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Economic & Social Council

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Technical Background

Analysis of the Declaration:

The pictures represent the Eight

Goal: 1 Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty

Goal: 2 Achieve Universal Primary Education

Goal: 3 Promote Gender Equality and Women Empowerment

Goal: 4 Reduce Child Mortality

Goal: 5 Improve Maternal Health

Goal: 7 Ensure Environmental Sustainability

Goal: 8 Develop Global partnerships for Development

Article 1 ( Free and Equal in Dignity and Right) :

Article 2 (Prohibition of discrimination):

Article 3 (Right to Life, Liberty, and Security):

Article 4 (Prohibition of Slavery):

Bonded Labour : If any person or his family is having

Human Trafficking: It means transporting

To prevent torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, the UN constituted a

Article 6 (Right to recognition as person before the law):