Human Rights
• basic rights + freedoms to which all humans are entitled
• applicable at all times in all places
• protect everyone equally w/o discrimination
‘Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence,
sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We area all equally
entitled to our human rights without discrimination’.
UN O ce of High Commissioner for Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• adopted by UN General Assembly in 1948
• 30 articles
declaration agreements which are often accepted but not legally binding
convention agreement between dif states where the outcome is legally binding + part of international law
signing a treaty shows intent by a state to comply with the agreement
ratifying a treaty state consents to be legally bound to that treaty + creates legislation to enforce these laws
Human Rights Norms
• represent way of living embedded into culture of a country over long period of time
• UDHR devised on basis of established customs + norms drawn from all cultures, religions and
philosophies across world
• based on moral principles that underpin universally accepted standards of human behaviour
• UDHR generally accepted as international HR norms; although non-binding resolution, HR
protected by international law
• international HR law sets out obligations of state govs. by signing international treaties, duty of
states to protect + ful l. govs that ratify/sign must put into practice measures + legislation
compatible with treaty
• most widely rati ed international human rights = UN Convention on Rights of Children (UNCRC)
- child’s needs to survive, grow + achieve full potential, responsibilities of adults + gov so
children enjoy all their rights
- global variation i.e. infant mortality rate (deaths of infants <1/yr/1000 live births). 106.5 Mali,
3.3 Italy. if country x doing what can to prevent these deaths = x meeting legal + moral
obligations :. HR concern
Spatial Patterns
Forced Labour
• situations in which persons are coerced to work through use of violence/intimidation, or by more
subtle means such as accumulation of debt, retention of identity papers or threats of
denunciation to immigration authorities
10%
22% 2.0 mil
26 %
9.5 mil
11.4 mil
68% 74 %
19.0 mil
female male sexual exploitation <18 >18 individuals/enterprises
economic activities state/rebel groups
state imposed
• private economy = US$150bil/yr illegal pro ts
• economic activities = agriculture, domestic work, construction, manufacturing
fi fi fi ffi
, Global Distribution
9%
Asia-Paci c
18% Middle East
Eastern Europe, Russia, N. Asia
56% Developed Economies + EU
7%
Africa
3% Latin America + Caribbean
7%
Factors
• x alternative
• x fully protected by law enforcement
• easier to control/exploit
Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR)
• death of a woman while pregnant/within 42 days of
termination of pregnancy from any cause related to or
aggravated by the pregnancy/its management
• annual nº deaths/100,000 live births
Global Distribution
• 295,000 woman/yr
• most = sSA (553 per 100,000 = 19% global total) + S.
Asia - vast majority preventable
• ACs = 1 in 5400 v LIDCs = 1 in 45
• globally almost halved 2000 = 1 in 100, 2017 = 1 in 190
Factors
• access to treatments for pregnancy + birth complications, esp emergency care
• quality of medical services, esp provision of skilled attendance at birth
• lvl of political commitment + gov investment -> limited health care services in rural areas
• availability of info + edu
• cultural barriers which a ect discrimination
• poverty -> lack of sanitation/insu cient food
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