Emergence of International Human Rights

Human Rights and the Cold War

Human Rights after the Cold War: Battle of Ideas

Resilience of Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Emergence of International Human Rights

UN General Assembly passed the Univeral Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December, 1948. The catalyst for the internationalisation of human rights was the impact of the Second World War.

Human Rights and Cold War

The Cold War was a paradox in relation to human rights. US-Soviet ideological struggle and decolonisation process served to impede the universal human rights agenda. But, nevertheless, the institutionalisation of human rights norms continued.

Human Rights after the Cold War

The demise of the Cold War renewed and intensified the debate over international human rights. Three rival perspectives could be singled out:

1. Liberal democratic world order approach
2. Geopolitical/Realist approach
3. Cultural Relativist approach

Resilience of Universal declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

The cruel persistence of human rights violations perhaps best explains the staying power of the UDHR. As well as serving as a source of hope for the downtrodden, the UDHR is a reminder that the world should not allow frontiers to limit our understanding of the suffering of human beings. The possible convergence of liberal rights oriented view and realist national interest approach in the contemporary international environment cannot be ruled out.