The Importance Of Human Rights

The establishment of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights transformed human rights from an abstract ideal that existed only in theory to a concrete rights system enshrined internationally. Yet, as with all laws and legal systems, enforcing human rights internationally remained the true challenge. Eleanor Roosevelt’s speech illustrated her vision of human rights as central to ensuring international peace and preventing war. Central to this effort to effectively promote human rights, the international community must cultivate human rights norms, established by international treaties and covenants, as well as a culture of human rights, involving educational efforts, an aspiration which has unfortunately been discarded

The final paragraph of the Preamble of the UDHR lists teaching and education of both young and old alike as key countermeasures against human rights abuses. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in particular is supposed to be the body in charge of promoting education of human rights (Cassin 6). Human right educational efforts aims to have people internalize human rights ideals and give them a language to fight for human rights (Watenpaugh 10/28). Fostering a strong culture of human rights could also create enough public pressure that states would ratify international treaties if they hadn’t already, and actually commit to enforcing and living up to the human rights norms rather than pay them lip service (Cassin 6). Consequently, while many international treaties have near-universal ratification, human rights abuses have continued in many countries of the world. Their governments have not been held accountable for their actions by the international community, in part due to international politics (Mazower 4). Such an environment of political inaction against widespread human rights abuses led to the creation of many prominent NGOs that aim to address human rights abuses, most notably Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Such organizations serve to foster a culture of human rights, and monitor and protect human rights on a grassroots level (Watenpaugh