Human rights are a set of universal principles or norms that establish standards for people, and can be protected by national and international law. They include civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. They are inalienable, meaning that they belong to every person by virtue of being a human being and cannot be voluntarily given up or taken away by anyone.
Before World War II, the idea of human rights was not widely accepted. Most governments believed that they could do what they wanted within their own borders and that the international community had no right to interfere or even raise concerns when people’s rights were violated. This philosophy was known as ‘state sovereignty’.
The atrocities of World War II brought the concept of human rights into widespread recognition and the United Nations created a body of international law that defines and protects people’s universal rights. This body of laws is known as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration explains that all humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights, including the right to life, freedom and security.
Many of the rights included in the Declaration are universal, but some can be contested by those who argue for cultural relativism. For example, the practice of female genital mutilation is a culturally held tradition in many parts of Africa, Asia and South America but it is a violation of women’s human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights explains that all rights are interdependent and that the realization of one right depends, in some way, on the realization of other rights.