The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A Guide to Protecting Fundamental Rights
In an effort to protect the rights of all human beings, legal scholars, humanitarians, and representatives from across the globe joined together to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Initially titled the “International Bill of Human Rights,” the United Nations (UN) presented this all-inclusive standard of living conditions, bodily autonomy, and civil rights in 1948. The document, which is eight pages long, was created after World War II to prevent future wrongdoings like that of Nazi Germany.
The UN defines human rights as “inherent,” meaning that all individuals are guaranteed these protections from birth. According to the UN, “human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more.” These rights cannot be taken away for any reason, regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion.
Since its inception 75 years ago, all 192 members of the UN have adopted the document and taken an oath of allegiance to abide by its parameters. While the legal agreement has facilitated the creation of several additional human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention of the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), its effectiveness remains in question. Considering there is no international police or military to enforce the treaty, it continues to be violated by its member countries.
For example, the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the result of an ethnic clash between the majority Hutu and the minority Tutsi, saw the death of roughly 800,000 individuals in 100 days. Rwanda had bound itself to follow the rules of the UDHR when becoming a member of the United Nations in 1962. While a handful of individuals were later punished for participating in and facilitating the brutality, most of the world remained oblivious to the conflict.
The Rwandan genocide is just one of many violations of the UDHR. But rather than discussing how we can enforce international laws, I want to discuss how countries continue to get away with violating these rules. While lack of accountability measures certainly plays a role in perpetuating human rights violations, I believe the politicization of human rights as a whole is why many crimes go unpunished.
In the realm of international politics, it is evident that collaboration, compromise, and understanding are required for countries to operate effectively. Trade partnerships are a great example, with two countries relying on each other’s goods for economic prosperity and global influence. According to a 2021 report by the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. exports to China totaled over $151 billion, and U.S. imports from China totaled over $506 billion. This lucrative trade agreement between the United States and China continues to solidify the two countries as global superpowers (in gross domestic product).
However, because the U.S. supports China economically, the foreign government can facilitate major humanitarian crises for political gain. Unbeknownst to many, Chinese President Xi Jinping has been utilizing a series of prison camps scattered around the nation to house and “re-educate” minority populations and political dissidents – targeting the predominantly Muslim Uyghur peoples. These re-education camps are part of a Chinese Communist Party scheme to form a unitary body politic, which violates the UDHR by discriminating against a group of people because of their ethnicity, religion, and political beliefs.
This violation is not a secret to the U.S., for the UN reported its findings after investigating China. The report includes allegations of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide – all things China and the U.S. have agreed to denounce by signing the UDHR. But because of the close economic ties between the two countries, severing or limiting trade as a form of punishment would be detrimental to the U.S.
And while the U.S. enacted the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act in 2020, which sanctioned several Chinese officials and prohibited some Chinese imports, it was more of a symbolic punishment with minimal consequences. In the years since the U.S. initiated this act, exports to China from the U.S. have increased by over 20%, and U.S. imports from China have increased by over 16%. Was the 2020 act a legitimate threat to Xi and the Chinese Communist Party, or was it a method of saving face?
The relationship between the United States and China is one example of many cases where governments overlook, minimize, or entirely ignore human rights violations for individual political gain. Not only are several countries guilty of violating human rights daily, but they are also guilty of directly or indirectly perpetuating crimes in other countries. And while some countries do accept accountability and admit to their wrongdoings, many don’t.
While we continue to operate in an international political system that allows this to happen, several humanitarian organizations work to prevent these wrongdoings. Human Rights Watch is a great organization that conducts annual reviews of human rights around the globe, ranking countries on subjects like free speech, economic justice, and environmental health. The organization hopes to educate, inspire, and mobilize individuals against human rights violations by conducting investigations, collaborating with government officials, and drafting policy recommendations.
When trying to solve international issues like this, my political science professors admitted that there is no right or wrong answer. Navigating the several factors constituting international politics is difficult, and there is no doubt that our high-ranking government officials consider every possible outcome when making decisions in this realm.
So while we can acknowledge that change won’t happen overnight and human rights violations will likely be a forever issue, change has to start somewhere. Continue to follow foreign conflicts, support organizations like Human Rights Watch, and hold government officials accountable when need be. While it may seem like we can do nothing to solve this issue, change has to start somewhere, and it is our duty as a population to facilitate and encourage action.
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Andie Balenger is a native of Gladstone and is currently attending Northern Michigan University. Her column addresses topics from the perspective of a young adult and runs Thursdays in the Daily Press.
