Universal Human Rights

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Are Human Rights a phenomenon without merit or a crucial aspect of our inter-governmental/inter-societal system? Some would argue that the foundation of human rights contradicts the means. For instance, when discussing the use of the term “Universal Human Rights,” we often forget that the term “universal” instigates nations to follow under one set doctrine of particular principles (Ronin, Bruce, and Hurd, 2008). The contradiction lies within the entity which promotes said norms, the United Nations; within it, the international non-governmental entity seeks out ways of promoting their vision of a world bound by a code of conduct and a common goal of peace and co-existence. The problem is how does one go about doing implementing human rights on a universal scale while respecting a state’s right to sovereignty and direction of law (Orford, 2003)? And by extension, how does the international community as a whole work towards enforcing said principles if a state opposes it? These questions act as the foundation of an argument that is shared throughout the international community; who has the right to implement and enforce human rights norms and by what authority shall that entity utilize to complete such an objective?

Argument/Analysis

First of all, let us analyze the global political system in its current form as to fully grasp the convoluted nature of international politics. One could argue that the ever changing global political scene is directly attributed to the multilateral approach to dealing with issues relevant to state sovereignty and intervention. In this instance, nation states often take it upon themselves to directly address particular conflicts oceans away. In other cases, we notice that the United Nations, a non-go...

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... it. Whether by the strength of an individual state or the wit of an international organization, upholding human rights must be the primary goal when determining the need for intervention.

Works Cited

1) Valentino, Benjamin A. 2011. "The True Costs of Humanitarian Intervention." Foreign Affairs (6.60)

2) Daalder, Ivo H. 2007. Beyond Preemption: Force and Legitimacy in a Changing World. Brookings Institution Press.

3) Ronin, Bruce, and Ian Hurd. 2008. UN Security Council and the Politics of International Authority. Taylor & Francis Routledge

4) Orford, A. (2003). Reading Humanitarian Intervention: Human Rights and the Use of Force in International Law. Cambridge University Press.

5) Donnelly, Jack. 1984. "HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION AND AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY: Law, Morality and Politics." Journal of International Affairs 37, no. 2: 311.

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