human rights Flashcards
define human rights norms
established customary behaviour based on moral principles and ways of living inculcated into the culture of a country or area over a long period of time
define human rights
basic rights and freedoms inherent to all human beings to which all people are emtitled without discrimination
what are the sustainable development goals?
established in 2015
supposed to be achieved in 2030
‘global goals’
what are the millenium development goals?
established in 2000
for LIDCs
what happened in 1948?
the universal declaration of human rights
what did article 5 of the UDHR state?
no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment
what did article 9 of the UDHR state?
no one shall be subjected to arbitary arrest, detention or exile.
what impact has globalisation had on human rights?
enhanced the ability of civil society to work across borders an to promote human rights
it has enabled some organisations to gain power and penetrate violations
what are the main modern threats to human rights?
child labour
people trafficking
genocide
modern slavery
what are international treaties?
international agreements concluded between states in written form and governed by international law
there are a growing number of treaties regarding human rights
what is the UN convention on the rights of the child?
designed to change the ways that children are viewed and treated
it describes what a child needs in order to reach its full potential and explains the responsibilities of adults and governments to ensure that children everywhere can enjoy all their rights
basis of UNICEF work
what is infant mortality rate?
the annual number of deaths of infants under the age of one per 1000 live births
examples of global variation in IMR
Mali = 106.5
Italy = 3.3
how is IMR viewed as a human rights concern?
most of the deaths are avoidable
country is not doing all it can to prevent these deaths
not upholding rights of most vulnerable people
define intervention?
actions of a state, group of states or international organisations in a foreign territory to end gross violation of
included military force, economic sanctions and the assistance of NGOs
what is humanitarian intervention?
action taken to protect people at risk of war, famine, flood, genocide
often third party country or multilateral agency like UN
what is the UN security council?
he only body that can authorise the use of military force
military intervention is controversial
which organisations do the UN cordinate?
regional organisations - NATO, OSCE and ASEAN Intergovernmental commission on human rights
non-governmental organisations : Red Cross, Oxfam
public-private parternships: Gavi Alliance (vaccines and immunisation)
define global governance
intervention by the global community attempting to regulate issues such as human rights sovreignity and territorial integrity
define geo-politics
ways in which geographical factors were central in shaping international politics
global balance of power and international relations
who is a geo-political power holder?
USA- dominant militarily and politically
2nd to China in trading
ACs, EDCs, LIDCs - all have inequalities in power due to wealth, political strength and development
SUPRANATIONAL UN, EU, ASEAN, OPEC - all exert greater geopolitical influence than their individual number states
MNCs - have considerable influence o the countries that they invest in
what understanding is required before intervening in human rights issues?
political composition of the groups of countries and organisations that are involved in the intervention
nature of the intervention itself
why intervention is necessary
characteristic features of the country
socio-economic and political consequences of intervention
what is NATOs purpose?
to safeguard the freedom and security of all its members by political and military means
what is NATOs aim?
to secure a lasting peace in Europe, based on democracy, human rights and the use of law
what has NATO been doing in Ukraine?
since 2014
supports co-operation on the ground
helps enhance Ukraine’s political and practical dialogue
supports democratic governance of tehe security and defence sector
helps build inter-operability beween allied and ukrainian forces to face common challenges
define forced labour
when people are coerced to work through use of violence or intimidation, or by more subtle means of detention such as retention of identity papers- bonded labour
how many people are part of forced labour?
21 million victims
11 million are girls
how much illegal profit does forced labour generate?
$150 billion
what are the three types of forced labour?
children who are denied education because they are forced to work
men unable to leave work because of debts owed to recruitment agents
women and girls exploited as unpaid, abused domestic workers
what is the global distribution of forced labour?
worst in southeast asia but nowhere in the world is unaffected
define article 3
everyone has the right to life, liberty and security
(forced labour violates)
what are examples of forced labour?
cotton farming in Uzbekestan
brick kilns in pakistan
usa agriculture- migrants trafficked into industry
what economic factors influence forced labour?
poverty
lack of economic opportunities and unemployment
low wages
migrants seeking work
what social factors influence forced labour?
gender inequality
age, espc children
entire families enslaved through bonded labour
women and children trafficked for sexual exploitation
indigenous people eg in farming in Paraguay
what political factors influence forced labour?
political instability
conflict
breakdown of laws
corruption
state sponsorship of modern slavery eg cotton in Uzebekistan
high levels of discrimination and prejudice
what environmental factors cause forced labour?
escaping climate related disasters
hazardous working conditions in open mines
what was the situation like in Chaghcharan Ghor before global intervention?
hostile and politically insecure
families had to sell assets such as livestock and their daughters
basic rights neglected - gender inequality
what is the situation like in Chagharan Ghor now, after global intervention?
Afghan aid co-ordinated donor funding and government input which has transformed the lives of communities and individuals
EU funded Afghan aid training on efficient and efficient agricultural methods, reducing the spread of diseases by securing safe water supplies
locals now have greater freedom and women are more integrated in society. democratic practises have been strengthened by the election of community groups
what global intervention strategies are being done in Kabul to tackle poverty?
funding from Japan to upgrade neighbourhoods in 33 provincial capitals and kabul
election of community development council, each included 300-250 households
define maternal mortality rate
the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy from any causes related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its managment per 100,000 live births
examples of maternal mortality rates
Sierra Leone: 1100/100,000
South Sudan: 1223/100,000 as of 2020
what six factors influence maternal mortality rates?
access to treatments for pregnancy and brith complications, espc emergency care
quality of medical services espc provision of skilled attendance at birth
level of political commitment and government investment
availability of information and education
cultural banners which affect discrimination
poverty
what protection measures are in place for maternal mortality rates?
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights
various regional treaties and the laws of many individual states
how has the number of maternal deaths changed over time?
since 1990-2015 there has been a 44% in reduction of deaths
what is capital punishment?
the death penalty
how does capital punishment defy human rights?
state must recognise the right to life
how many cases of capital punishment has there been recently?
in 2014, there was at least 607 excecutions
2466 people were sentenced to death in 55 countries
what factors influence the global variation in capital punishment?
differences between countries in the range and type of crimes for which it is imposed
the incidence of its legality under national law
the increase in the number of countries in which it is being abolished
its reinstatement in some countries for threats to state security and public safety posed by terrorism
the number of commutations and pardons (granted in 28 countries in 2014)
define gender inequality
the unequal treatment of individuals based on their gender
women and men do not enjoy the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of society because they are a woman or a man
how is gender inequlity measured and what do the results show?
a range of indices
show that females suffer the most
global patterns in gender equality is closely related to…
respect for the rights of women
demonstrated by the GGGI - global gender gap index
what challenges remain in gender inequality?
forced marriage - often involves children
forced labour incl sex slavery
access to education and healthcare
employment opportunities
political participation
wage equality
violence against women
access to reproductive health services
what are two Millenium Development Goals targeting gender inequality?
improve maternal health
promote gender equality and empowerment
what have NGOs done to address gender inequality?
established Girls Education Initiative led by UNICEF
Internation Centre for Research on Women
what has the UN done for gender inequlity?
CEDAW
working on treaties and legislation
how does education perpeptuate gender inquality and has it changed?
favours males
MDG has caused some improvements
girls suffer severs disadvantages in poorer countries particularly in rural countries
how would improving female education improve gender equality?
help women move into labour market and increase production capacity of the labour force
decrease infant mortality as women get more educated about fertility
family health and child nutrition would improve
what has the UN done to improve female education?
Girls’ Education Initiative
what factors lead to females not having education?
poor families prioritise paying for men to go
oldest girl has household obligations
educating girls does not benefit the girl’s family but the family in which she marries into
girls face exploitation and abuse in some classroom environments
some schools do not offer private or separate latrines
insufficient numbers of female teachers
child marriage
early pregnancy
inadequate legislation
insufficent government investment
what factors effect female reproductive health in developing countries?
early forced marriage
high rates of young pregnancy
STDs incl HIV
harmful traditional practices eg FGM
forced sterilisation or abortion
sexual violence
gender bias in education = limited access to information
lack of empowerment in family size and spacing of pregnancies
how many girls under 18 give birth every day?
20,000
who is involved is resolving issues surrounding female reproductive rights?
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
NGOs eg ICRW, Amref Health Africa and Womankind
what factors effect employment opportunities for women?
social norms- where the primary responsibility in securing household income is down to men and women are expected to do housework
cultural beliefs and practices of religious or social groups
levels of governmental and company support for child care
degrees to which equal oppurtunity is safeguarded by law
social acceptance of women as contributors to household income
gender based norms that shape the educational and job decisions of women and men
levels of discrimination by employers
sectoral structure of the labour market
which human rights are often the cause of conflict?
denial of human needs such as food, housing, employment opportunity and limited access to education over long periods of time
discrimination and denial of freedom on an undemocratic society
unrepresentative government in which people are treated unequally or unjustly and excluded from decision making
oppressive government that do not respect the needs of all groups, including the preservation of ethnic identity or discrimination on the basis of gender
genocide or torture
what human rights issue may conflict cause?
high incidence of human mortality, military involvement in fighting and civillians in local communities
damage to homes and property
damage to infrastructure, including transport systems, hospitals, school and tele-communications
the impact on food and water supply
displacement of populations including the effects of internal and international refugee migration
exploitation of women
ethnic cleansing
the role of flows of people, money, ideas and technology in geopolitical intervention
UNHRC deployes experts, working groups etc to promote ideas and values
OHCHR provides education and training
NGOs eg Amnesty raise awareness
NATO give military support
how do the UN protect human rights?
main aim to “reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights”
different council with experience that countries may lack
Security Council deals with human rights violations even in conflict areas
Human right council work with the legal backing of the International Bill of rights
how do NGOs protect human rights?
work on the ground in areas of conflict
modify social norms through education
train in practical agricultural methods
improve sanitation
provision of medicines
health education
how do treaties and law protect human rights?
binding in international and national law
eg Convention of the Rights of a Child
