International Human-Rights Standards, Explained

When people talk about human-rights standards, they usually mean a small set of foundational documents and the bodies that interpret them. Knowing what they are makes it much easier to tell a credible claim from an empty one.

The foundational documents

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) set out, for the first time, a common list of rights for everyone. It is not a treaty, but it inspired binding treaties, above all the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

How they become binding

When a state ratifies a treaty such as the ICCPR, it takes on binding legal obligations. The Covenant protects, among others, the right to life, freedom from torture, fair-trial guarantees, and freedom of expression.

Who interprets them

Independent expert bodies and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) interpret these standards, and established organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch document how they are applied in practice.

Why it matters here

These standards are the yardstick against which any specific case can be measured. They are what make it possible to say, with confidence, when a process falls below what the law requires.

References

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
• UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR).