Health and Human Rights - 8.4 Flashcards
1
Q
What is the universal declaration of human rights?
A
- Statement of intent – a statement countries intend to uphold – not legally binding
- Framework for foreign policies
- How they are going to deal with other countries
- Helps to explain economic or military intervention – gives the reason for this
2
Q
When were the UDHR’s created?
A
- Created after the world war 2 to ensure that atrocities that had happened in the war didn’t happen again
- There was a basic agreement of the rights that every human being should be entitled to
- Eleanor Roosevelt – united nations made them – to sign
- Was originally signed by 48 UN countries but the following countries refused to sign it at the time (Soviet Union, South Africa (Aparti ruled where races were separated), Saudi Arabia)
- Many countries have taken them and put it into their own legal system
- It’s not legally binding but it forms the basis for international laws (Geneva Law is legally binding)
3
Q
Concept and history of the human rights?
A
- United nations created
- Un general assembly in 1948
- Written by an international committee
- Everyone is born free and equal
- Basic civil and political rights
- Social, economic and cultural rights
4
Q
Why are human rights ignored?
A
- Not easy to influence these rights
- Hard to punish those who violate it
- Main bodies in un – investigate violations but cannot punish them
- Development of these are mostly western nations
5
Q
Religions and human rights
A
- Sharia Law doesn’t have may rights for women’s
- As the rights were made by wealthy western countries, they don’t reflect different cultures or beliefs in religions
6
Q
Criticisms of western use of UDHR’s
A
- Arguably used by western countries as and when they feel like it
- Western, developed countries trying to keep poor countries poor – most developed countries violated human rights previously to grow and develop (UK – children working in factories, slavery)
7
Q
Why are the UDHR good?
A
- It sets out a benchmark and international declaration which all countries should adhere to
- When it works, all human have equal rights
- Development aid has been used to pressure countries into improving the human rights of their people
- It protects the weak, the vulnerable and the underrepresented in the world
8
Q
Why are the UDHR bad?
A
- Some of the declarations contradict religion (stoning, executions, Sharia Law)
- Some of the declarations contradict culture (India has strict classes – that creates inequalities in treatments)
- Some countries believe economic development is more important that human rights
- Human rights violations – are often used as a military action (Trump’s bombing of Syria for power but also their human rights were not good)
- Some countries believe sovereignty should be more significant that international pressure (Ability to rule your own country is the ruler’s autonomy – the international community shouldn’t interfere)
9
Q
Which countries are most likely to violate the UDHR’s?
A
- Muslim countries which follow Sharia Law – women have fewer rights to men and goes against many declarations
- Developing countries – don’t have access to education due to lack of funding
- Totalitarian ideologies – censorship restricts what they view – North Korea restrict what their population think and say.
10
Q
Why may some countries not want to sign these rights?
A
- Some countries are not even close to reaching good human rights just due to the lack of development so therefore their reputation would be worsened if the signed and didn’t follow
- For countries to start development, sometimes human rights don’t take priority
11
Q
What is the echr?
A
- An international human rights treaty between the 47 members of the council of Europe
- Made a legal commitment to abide by certain standards of behaviour and to protect the basic rights and freedoms of ordinary people
12
Q
When and how were the echr created?
A
- This was written by the Council of Europe and adopted by its 47 member states.
- The Council of Europe is an international organisation set up in 1949 with the specific aims of upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe.
- It is not the same as the EU - but has a close relationship with it
- Pre-dates the founding of the EU in 1957
- Established the European Court of Human Rights to uphold the ECHR and bring people or organisations abusing human rights to trial and justice
13
Q
when were the echr made?
A
- The ECHR was specifically set up to prevent conflict in Europe and the sort of atrocities committed during the World Wars.
- It is different to the UDHR, but they have similar aims and refer to similar rights.
14
Q
How did the UK integrate the echr into law?
A
- The Human Rights Act 1998 took the rights that were part of the ECHR and made them part of UK law.
- This makes it easier for citizens to have their human rights upheld in the UK, rather than having to take the UK government to court at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
15
Q
Why do some people in the UK appose to ECHR?
A
- Some people think that they impact the country’s sovereignty
- By signing international human rights treaties, sovereign states could be seen to be handing authority on human rights issues to a higher legal body (UN or Council of Europe)
