H UMAN R IGHTS By Fionnuala nagle Legal Studies

W HAT ARE HUMAN RIGHTS ?  Human rights are basic rights and freedoms that all people are entitled to regardless of nationality, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, language, or other status.  Human rights are conceived as universal with all people having equal rights by virtue of being human.

H UMAN RIGHTS INCLUDE :  Civil and political rights and Economic, social and cultural rights such as the rights to work, social security and education. For example, the right to education may be considered the key that unlocks other rights, such as health and work.  People cannot assert their economic, social and cultural rights without civil and political rights. The improvement of one right facilitates advancement of the others. Likewise, the deprivation of one right may adversely affect others.

H ISTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS  The modern story of international human rights law starts with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights which was signed in Paris in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly.  Human rights are now found in a growing number of international treaties, laws and national constitutions.  International human rights law obliges Governments to act in certain ways or to refrain from certain acts in order to promote and protect human rights

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