What are Human Rights?

Human rights are a set of basic rights which many people believe belong to all humans by birthright. The concept is ancient, although the term “human rights” only entered usage in the 1940s. Because many people, especially in the West, feel very strongly about human rights, a number of measures have been undertaken to protect them. An international organization, the United Nations, has a large division related to the protection of human rights.

The idea that people are entitled to a few basic rights by nature of their humanity is ancient. Many historical documents have codified some of these basic rights. Unfortunately, there is also a long history of neglecting human rights for certain groups. Many slave-owning societies, for example, felt passionately enough about human rights to include them in their legislation, and slaves were excepted because they were believed to be less than human.

In the 1940s, the Second World War called a great deal of attention to the concept. Many nations were deeply concerned by the actions of the Axis Powers, which greatly abridged human rights for a number of people, most prominently followers of the Jewish faith. At the close of the war, the United Nations was founded, and human rights became one of the major issues that the organization focused on. By 1948, the United Nations had issued a Universal Declaration of Human Rights, asking all member nations to sign it and defend the rights described therein.

As a general rule, most proponents of human rights believe that humans are entitled to their lives and liberty. In addition, humans should be able to think and communicate as they please, as these issues are very tied in with a sense of liberty. Finally, all humans should be entitled to equality before the law. Many people also believe in a number of additional legal protections, including prohibitions on slavery and torture. In addition, humans and governments have a duty to protect human rights.

When a basic tenant of human rights is abused, it is termed a human rights violation. Unfortunately, many countries commit human rights violations, ranging from execution of criminals for trivial crimes to the extraordinary rendition of suspected terrorists. Many people report on human rights violations in the hopes of putting a stop to them, sometimes at risk of their lives. These people hope that human rights may become universal someday without the need for monitors and whistleblowers.

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What is UN (United Nations)?

The United Nations (UN) was formed on 24 October 1945. Fifty-one countries came together with the sole purpose of promoting peace throughout the world through mutual cooperation. Today, almost every nation in the world is a member of the United Nations, for a total of 191 members.

The United Nations charter details the guidelines that every member must abide by. It is a treaty that sets out the rules and obligations of member nations. The UN charter delineates four main purposes: to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly co-operation between countries, to solve international problems and respect all human rights, and to serve as a focal point for all peaceful national activities.

Although the United Nations cannot make laws and is not a governing power, it provides guidelines in order to prevent conflict between nations. It also develops rules in order to help achieve peaceful conclusions to problems affecting the world. The United Nations view is that, no matter how small or poor a nation is, it still has a voice and a say in the development of the world.

The campaigns of the United Nations are concerned with all aspects of world peace and international harmony. They help fight against drug trafficking and terrorist attacks. They have led campaigns to assist refugees and to provide vital food production and humanitarian aid to third world countries. Campaigns for the fight against AIDS and world-wide disarmament are two of their highest priorities.

The United Nations holds regular meetings to discuss the world's most urgent problems. Each member of the UN has a vote on each topic. At the meetings, they decide and vote on subjects such as the world's international peace.

Members of the UN also debate major security problems throughout the world. Other topics may include deciding on new members to be admitted to the United Nations. Although voting is the main form of decision, the UN prefers all agreements to be made by consensus.

There are six main divisions of the United Nations: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trustee Council, and the Secretariat. The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, is the main legal branch of the UN. It makes decisions and judgments on conflicts between countries.

The United Nations is a global organization with the assets and funds to make huge changes throughout the world. In 2005, 3 billion US dollars (USD) was committed to help the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Another 4.5 billion USD was administered to help developing countries with their environmental problems.