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US Human Rights Network Southwest Regional Meeting

US Human Rights Network Southwest Regional Meeting. Human Rights 101 Key Concepts and History Oklahoma City, Oklahoma October 19, 2012 Co-Hosted by USHRN Member, IITC. What are Human Rights?.

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US Human Rights Network Southwest Regional Meeting

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  1. US Human Rights NetworkSouthwest Regional Meeting Human Rights 101 Key Concepts and History Oklahoma City, Oklahoma October 19, 2012 Co-Hosted by USHRN Member, IITC

  2. What are Human Rights? • A Set of Values: Protections, freedoms, and social benefits needed to live in dignity and to our fullest potential • A Set of Tools needed to promote and protect human dignity

  3. The Spectrum of Rights • Development Rights • Environmental Rights • Cultural Rights • Social Rights • Economic Rights • Political Rights • Civil Rights

  4. Key Concepts • Who enjoys human rights? • Rights are Universal • When do you get them and how long do you enjoy them? • Rights are Inalienable • What types of rights are there? • Civil, Political, Social, Economic, Cultural, Environment, Development • Which are more important? • Indivisible and Interdependent

  5. Human Rights: A Common Language • The essence of human rights is the inherent ability to live in dignity. • Human rights include economic, social, and cultural rights. • Human rights applies to all humans, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or immigration status, and recognizes our intersectional identities. • International Human rights law often provides a higher standard of protection than provided by U.S. law. • Human rights create state obligations to respect, protect and fulfill

  6. Human Rights: A Common Language • Human Rights are Transformative - proceeds from the position that the struggle for human rights and dignity must move societies toward the establishment of social institutions, structures and social relationships that reflect a real commitment to human dignity and social justice.

  7. Universal Declaration of Human Rights • A vision statement • Covers all Rights • Declaration of Principles • Non-binding (although it is considered international customary law)

  8. The Human Rights Framework • Treaties articulate specific human rights • Treaties are legally binding once they are ratified by governments • Each treaty has an oversight body called a treaty committee (i.e. the committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination) • Countries are required to submit reports and make oral presentations to the committee every couple of years • Shadow reporting parallels this reporting process, undertaken by civil society (social justice groups) • Some treaty committees also allow individuals to submit individual complaints • Treaty committees issue general recommendations to clarify the meaning of different rights and make recommendations on how to protect peoples rights

  9. Key Human Rights Treaties • Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) • International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) • International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) • International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) • International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) • International Convention Against Torture and other cruel, Inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CAT) • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) • International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families • United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

  10. Value of Using Treaties • Ratified Treaties create affirmative obligations • The state is forced to acknowledge and remedy the problem • Ratification creates a process by which periodically we can review progress • With ratification we can call for implementation at national and local levels

  11. Human Rights Tools and Mechanisms • Shadow Reporting • Human Rights Documentation • Early Warning Measures and Urgent Procedures • Independent Experts on specific rights (Special Rapporteurs) • Special Reports • Tribunals • The Inter-American Commission and Court on Human Rights

  12. Civil Society In Action • Although human rights are universally accepted and are the primary responsibility of governments, individuals have the obligation to monitor and put pressure on governments to protect and fulfill those rights. • There is no one way to realize human rights, it takes innovation and collective strategies to build systemic change and we hope that our discussions today will put us on that path. 

  13. THANK YOU

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