LESSON 3

Nature & Development of

Human Rights

DO NOW
Complete this line
When I turn 18 I legally have to vote.
This make me feel

TYPES OF HUMAN RIGHTS

1. Civil and Political Rights
2. Economic, Social & Cultural

OTHERS RECOGNISED BY INTERNATIONAL LAW

3. Peace Rights, Environment Rights, Right to self
determination

CIVIL & POLITICAL

Identified in the UDHR and the ICCPR include your right to
Life;
not to be tortured;
be free from slavery and forced labour;

be free from arbitrary arrest or detention;

freedom of movement and association;

Privacy;

freedom of expression;
vote.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL & CULTURAL

RIGHTS
These include your right to:
family life, and to look after your children;

work and to be treated fairly at work;

form and join a trade union;
an adequate standard of living, including adequate
food, clothing and housing;
access to appropriate health care;

a basic education;
maintain your culture and language
access services regardless of your race, gender,

KWL: THINK PAIR SHARE

Students pick out of a hat one of the key areas eg

abolition of slavery.
Students complete the KWL
Students read the chunked down information sheet
Students then teach their partner about their chosen

topic

ABOLITION OF SLAVERY
Accepted practice in the ancient world
Humane and liberal ideas surfaced in the French and American

revolutions
The British govt passed the Emancipation Act 1833, abolishing

slavery throughout the British colony

Following this initial act, various other laws worldwide were passed

UN banned slavery under the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights (1948) and later, the Convention on the Abolition of Slavery

(1957) made penalties more enforceable and widespread
Yet despite these mechanism, the number of people living in a

situation of forced servitude is in the region of 200 million, Italian

AntiMafia Commission
Contemporary forms of slavery Child Soldiers, and prostitution

(turnover of 13 billion a year)

TRADE UNIONISM
Associations of employees that aim to protect
the rights of workers
Formed after the Industrial Revolution in the
18th century
Played an important role in establishing that
employers owed a responsibility to their
workers, such as a safe working environment

UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE
That every adult has the right to vote
The right to vote removes injustice and powerful political

barriers to equality
Granted in Aus, although relatively new as voters used to

be strictly white, male and rich o Women won the right to

vote in federal elections in 1902

Women still do not have the vote in Saudi Arabia

Aboriginals werent granted the vote until 1962

There are still many nations without a democratic govt

(e.g. China illegal to set up opposition political parties to
Communist Party)

UNIVERSAL EDUCATION
The right of all the basic education
Rare before the 19th century
A growing demand for educated people to meet demands

of Industrial Revolution o In 1870s, Aus colonies made

education free and compulsory
The UN has recognised that education is essential to the

alleviation of poverty, the adoption of family planning and

the improvement of the status of women
Universal education is protected under the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights

RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION
The collective right of people (particularly Indigenous and other

minority groups) to have at least partial control of their land,

whilst still being part of the broader nation
Can also mean granting independence to the traditional owners
Grew rapidly in the 1960s, particularly in Asia, Africa and the

Pacific, where much decolonisation occurred, as land was

handed back to Indigenous peoples e.g. in East Timor
Handing back land to traditional owners has lead to some

instances where there are

barriers between ethnic groups. E.g. Rwanda Hutus sought to

kill the entire population of Tutsis

ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS
This is a collective right a matter of common concern for

humankind
Intergenerational equality grants the right of future

generations to enjoy the same level of environmental

quality as the present generation
Has gained as increased recognition due to an

understanding of the limited resources of our planet

Stockholm and Rio Declaration are moves towards a

sustainable future

PEACE RIGHTS
the right to peace
in ancient times, countries acted in their own interests
the development of deadly nuclear weaponry has created

so much destruction and fear that peace rights have

gained recognition
the UN identified peace as one of its main aims
the Security Council acts when there is a threat to peace

e.g. in Korean war (19501953)

FORMAL STATEMENTS
Students watch the followong video clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZFUuGOPLPg

FORMAL DOCUMENTS
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
-UDHR developed largely in response to the atrocities of WW2
-At its core is nondiscrimination and respect for individual dignity
-Its lack of legal status has helped give it moral authority help
strengthen its demands for increased HR against authoritarian
governments
- It has been a foundation for later instruments and similar rights in
domestic legal systems
- It is not legally binding, however its universal acceptance has
made it part of the principles of I.L

INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL

AND POLITICAL RIGHTS (1966)

Relate to the treatment of the individual both as an

individual and as a member of wider society

Mainly protects people from the actions of oppressive

govts

Often denied in authoritarian states

Expand on rights set of by UDHR

Includes right to life, liberty, security, participate in
government, freedom from torture and slavery, freedom
of religion

has been quite ineffective, as reports show that despite

being signatories, various nations abuse HR

ICESCR (1966)
International Covenant on Economic, Social and

Cultural Rights (1966)

Relate to economic, social and cultural freedom

Often denied in poor countries

Includes right to work, education, join trade unions,

participate freely in cultural life, an adequate standard of
living, selfdetermination, equality between men and
women