Human rights affect every dimension of an individual's life: personal, social, cultural, religious and economic.

For at least the past two centuries, the guaranteeing of individual rights has been a considered a part of the social and legal contract between individual citizens and the state. Initially, the specific rights included among (or excluded from) those guaranteed by a given country's constitution were the result of the historical processes at work in that country. Often, these rights were written into a country's constitution; thus codified, they came to be used by the high court as a standard against which new laws could be tested.

As relations between nation-states evolved in the first half of the twentieth century, a consensus developed whereby certain fundamental human rights became a responsibility shared within the community of nations. These were codified in various agreements or "conventions" based on the notion that "something is due to human beings because they are human beings," irrespective of the social or cultural environment in which they live.

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (December 1948) is one of the mainstays of the international order which emerged from the Second World War. It was supplemented in 1966 by two international covenants: one on civil and political rights and one on economic, social and cultural rights. The declaration gives the whole international community a shared responsibility for ensuring that the inalienable rights of the human person are respected, safeguarded and promoted.

In addition to the international system which has been set up within the United Nations framework, various regional instruments have served to provide firmer guarantees of respect for universally recognized rights in particular parts of the world. In Europe, for example, the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms within the Council of Europe (set up in May 1949) has served this function. Under the terms of this agreement, individuals can bring a complaint against a Member State of the Council of Europe, until recently a very rare form of procedure in international law.

The international background to the recognition of fundamental rights has changed considerably over the last few years, with a strengthening of the universal character of human rights which opens the way to increased dialogue and cooperation between the members of the international community. The United Nations has sponsored a series of international conferences, including the Vienna Conference on Human Rights in June 1993, the Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development in March 1995 and the Beijing Conference on Women in September 1995.

Top

Simulation Schedule | Teleconference Schedule | Rules
Scenario Information | Information Resources | Role Profiles