INTRODUCTION TO
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Zoya Sultana
Junior Lecturer
Riphah Institute of Clinical and Professional Psychology
Riphah International University, Gulberg Campus
Content
• Human Rights
• Characteristics
• Types
• Instruments from which the modern concept of human right originated
• Provisions of Magna Carta
• French Revolution
• Russian Revolution
• Contemporary International Human Rights Organizations
• The Second World War
• Evolution of United Nations
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Human Rights
• We humans are entitled to certain basic rights and
freedoms. These are not granted by any state but are
inherent to us all, regardless of nationality, sex, national or
ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other
status. The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
recognizes life, liberty, equality and dignity as human
rights.
Characteristics of Human Rights
• 1-Human rights are universal. This means that we all are equally
entitled to our human rights and they must not be taken away, except
in specific situations and according to due process. For instance, a
criminal can be denied the Right to Liberty.
• 2-They are indivisible and interdependent. This implies that one
set of rights cannot be enjoyed fully without the other. For instance, if
our Social or Civil Human Rights are violated, it will impact other rights
as well such as Political or Cultural Human Rights
• 3-These are equal and non-discriminatory as all human beings
are born free and equal in dignity and rights. For instance, one cannot
be given priority over others.
Types of Human Rights
As guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR),
Human Rights can be classified as:
Social or Civil Human Rights
Each one of us is entitled to:
a. Right to life, liberty and security
b. Right to freedom from slavery and servitude
c. Right to freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment
d. Right to freedom from arbitrary interference with privacy, family,
home or correspondence
e. Right to marry and have family and right to property
Political Human Right
To take part in political processes, each one of us is entitled to:
a. Right to nationality
b. Right to equality before the law and equal protection of law
c. Right to judicial remedies, fair trial and freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention or exile
d. Right to freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, conscience and religion
e. Right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
f. Right to take part in government affairs and equal access to public service
g. Right to equal suffrage
h. Right to freedom of movement and right of asylum etc.
Economic Human Rights
Each one of us is entitled to certain economic human rights:
a. Right to social security
b. Right to work and the right to equal pay for equal work
c. Right to form trade unions
d. Right to rest and leisure
e. Right to food, health and an adequate standard of living
Cultural Human Rights
To protect different cultures, customs, and traditions, we are entitled to:
a. Right to participate in the cultural life of the community
b. Right to enjoy the art and to share in the scientific advancement and its benefits
c. Right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific,
literary and artistic production of which the individual is the author
d. Right to a social and international order in which the human rights as provided in the
Universal Declaration can be fully realized
Instruments from which the modern
concept of Human Rights originated
• 1. British Magna Carta 1215
• 2. French Declaration of the Rights of Man 1789
• 3. Russian Revolution 1917
Magna Carta
• Magna Carta was issued in June 1215 and was the first document to put into writing the
principle that the king and his government was not above the law. It sought to prevent the
king from exploiting his power, and placed limits of royal authority by establishing law as
a power in itself.
Some provisions of Magna Carta
• Protection against arbitrary acts by the King.
• Land and property could no longer be seized.
• Judges had to know and respect laws.
• There could be no imprisonment without a trial.
• Merchants were granted the right to travel freely within England and outside
English Bill of Rights
• Bill
of Rights was signed in England in 1689, after the Glorious Revolution of
1688.
• After revolution, the power of the king was reduced and British parliament declared
its supremacy over the Crown.
• Magna carta principles followed by parliament & accepted the declaration of the
rights and passed it into law in the form of the “Bill of Rights”.
• Rightswere- king has no overriding authority, parliamentary supremacy,
parliamentary elections should be free & binding, cruel- unusual punishments
condemned.
French Revolution (1789-1799)
• The French Revolution was a great period of upheaval and revolutionary
movement in France that took place in 1789 and continued till 1799. During
this period, France stood at the center of the intellectual movements and the
French thinkers who were known as the philosophies began to challenge the
existing regime in France which is referred to as the Old Regime.
• The French Revolution led to the fall of the Old Regime. The feudal regime
was abolished and there was the declaration of the Rights of Man, and of the
Citizens that guaranteed liberty, equality, right to property as well as right to
resist oppression.
There were new ideas such as enlightenment, citizenship, and nationalism.
• Special privileges abolished & society organized on basis of equality.
• The government should be not only “for the people” but also “by the people”.
• The Declaration of the Rights of Man was a product of French Revolution
• On 17th august 1789, the National Assembly proclaimed the Rights of Man and of
the Citizens. These rights were formulated in 17 articles. Basic motto behind that
‘’’Men are born free and equal in rights”
THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
• Russian revolution took place in 1917- 1st communist revolution of the world.
• highlighted that economic & social rights were as important as the civil and political
rights.
• English, American & French revolutions emphasized the first generation (civil and
political) rights, whereas Revolution of Russia popularized socio- economic rights;
such as right to food, clothing, shelter, work, social security, protection of the
family, right to adequate standard of living, right to education, health, i.e. second
generation rights.
Contemporary International Human
Rights Organizations
• To prohibit the slave trade and to limit the horrors of war, in 1919 International
Labor Organization was established to oversee treaties protecting workers with
respect to their rights, including their health and safety.
• At the end of 1st World War the League of Nations was established following the
concern for the protection of certain minority groups.
• International Labor Organization maintained justice & rights of workers.
The Second World War (1939)
• AdolfHitler’s Nazi regime that had ruled Germany since 1933 had been discovered
to have undertaken a programmed of exterminating Jews and other unwanted
peoples such as homosexuals, Sinti, Romani gypsies, political opponents and the
disabled which were killed by Nazi government, which horrified the world. In what
is now known as the Holocaust, an estimated 17 million people were killed by the
Nazis through overwork in labor camps, undernourishment and various forms of
execution – which included gas chambers and firing squads.
• Trials
were held in Nuremberg and Tokyo after the World War and officials from the
defeated countries were punished for committing war crimes, crimes against peace
and humanity.
Evolution of the United Nations
• The idea of human rights emerged stronger after World War II.
• Governments then committed themselves to establishing the United Nations, with
the primary goal of securing international peace and preventing conflict.
• Calls
came from across the globe for human rights standards to protect citizens from
abuses by their Governments. These voices played a critical role in the San
Francisco meeting that drafted the United Nations Charter in 1945.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a document that acts like a
global road map for freedom and equality – protecting the rights of every individual,
everywhere. It was the first time countries agreed on the freedoms and rights that
deserve universal protection in order for every individual to live their lives freely,
equally and in dignity.
• OnDecember 10, 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was
adopted by 56 members of the United Nations.
• The 30 rights and freedoms set out in the UDHR include the right to be free from
torture, the right to freedom of expression, the right to education and the right
to seek asylum. It includes civil and political rights, such as the rights
to life, liberty and privacy. It also includes economic, social and cultural rights,
such as the rights to social security, health and adequate housing.
Human Rights Issues
• Poverty and Inequality:
Extreme poverty and economic inequality are significant human rights issues. Many
people lack access to basic necessities such as food, clean water, and shelter.
• Discrimination:
Discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and other factors
continues to be a pervasive problem.
• Violence and Conflict:
Armed conflicts, war crimes, and violence against civilians are major human rights
concerns. These issues often result in displacement, trauma, and loss of life.
Human Rights Issues
• Human Trafficking:
Human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights, involving the illegal
trade of humans, primarily for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.
• Children's Rights:
Children are often vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and neglect. Ensuring
their rights to education, healthcare, and protection is essential2.
Right to Health:
Access to healthcare is a fundamental human right, yet many people lack
adequate medical care due to economic, social, or political barriers.
TASKS
• Nuremberg codes
• Belmont Report
• International Criminal Law
• International Criminal Justice
International criminal law
• "Internationalcriminal law deals with the criminal responsibility of
individuals for international crimes such as genocide, crimes
against humanity, and war crimes.“
OR
• InternationalCriminal Law is a body of laws, norms, and rules that
governs international crimes and their repression. It aims to hold
individuals criminally accountable for serious atrocities such as
genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of
aggression2. It's like a global rulebook that says, "These actions
are so bad that anyone who does them, no matter where they are
from, will be punished."