Context: The 10th of December is celebrated as Human Rights Day to celebrate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). 

Human Rights Day 2023: Key Highlights

• Origin: After World War II, there was an effort to ensure that the atrocities committed during the conflict would not be repeated.
  • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was given by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 It sought to ensure fundamental human rights to be universally protected.  
  • The day originated in 1950 after the UN General Assembly passed resolution 423 (V) inviting all States and interested organizations to adopt 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day.
  • Despite not being a binding document, the resolution has inspired more than 60 human rights instruments which together constitute an international standard of human rights. 
• The theme for 2023:  Freedom, Equality, and Justice for All
• Significance of the Day
  • Rights of Vulnerable Groups: The day seeks to focus on vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and migrants.
  • Guidepost for Future Actions: The world is facing challenges such as pandemics, conflicts, inequalities, a morally bankrupt global financial system, racism, and climate change.  The day seeks to remind people of the UDHR, which acts as a guidepost for our collective actions in the future. 
  • Perennial Values: The day seeks to propagate perennial values of equality, justice, and human dignity, which act as a foundation for human values.
  • Enjoy Human Rights: The day encourages stakeholders to create awareness of human rights to ensure that all people can enjoy and exercise their human rights freely. 
  • Address Important Issues: The day addresses issues such as discrimination, diversity, education, freedom, poverty, torture, and equality.

Human Rights

• Human Rights refer to the rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political affiliation, nationality, property, birth, or other status.
• Authority on Human Rights: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has the responsibility for UN human rights activities. It is required to respond to serious violations of human rights and to undertake preventive action.

Significance of Human Rights:

• Prevents Discrimination: Human Rights ensure that an individual can lead a normal life without being discriminated against.
• Remove Social Evils: Human Rights are necessary to remove social evils from society, including slavery, child marriages, infanticide, etc.
• Cultural and Religious Freedom: Human Rights ensure that an individual’s cultural and religious rights are protected.
• Civil Rights: Since human rights and civil rights are closely related, protecting human rights amounts to the protection of civil rights.

Challenges for Human Rights:

• Cultural Mindset: The cultural mindset of people is such that stereotypes against cultural minorities have resulted in discrimination. This includes anti-Semitism, anti-LGBT, etc.
• Indigenous Rights: The rights of tribals and forest dwellers are being affected mainly due to displacement from developmental activities. 
• Pollution: Access to a clean environment, including clean air and water is some of the major human rights which are being affected.
• Atrocities against Women: Rising cases of atrocities against women have been proving to be a significant challenge in the future.

Way Forward: Improving Human Rights across the World:

• Empowered Body: Human rights protection should be prioritized by empowering a designated authority, which enjoys powers to implement measures.
• New Laws: New laws must be introduced to address the growing number of new challenges to human rights across the world.
• Strengthen the Judiciary: The Judiciary has to become the prominent stakeholder in human rights and must ensure that these rights are protected.

Different Human Rights Conventions:

• Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948):
  • Also Known as the Genocide Convention, it was the first human rights treaty adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9 December 1948.
  • The parties are obliged under the Convention to take measures to prevent and punish the crime of genocide.
• The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965):
  • The convention asks its members to eliminate racial discrimination and promote understanding among all races by criminalizing hate speech and membership of racist groups.
• The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979):
  • The convention seeks to establish equality between women and men by ensuring women’s equal access to, and equal opportunities in, political and public life.
  • By accepting the convention, the states committed themselves to carry out a series of measures to end discrimination against women in all forms.
• The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989):
  • The convention sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health, and cultural rights of children. Ratified states are bound by international law.
  • The convention also allows parents to exercise their parental responsibilities. The convention also acknowledges that children have the right to express their opinions, be heard and acted upon, to be protected from abuse, and to have their privacy protected.
• The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006):
  • The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights treaty that deals with the rights of people with disability.
  • Objectives:
    • Ending discrimination against persons with disabilities.
    • Allowing persons with disabilities to live independently.
    • Inclusive education system.
    • Protecting persons with disabilities against all forms of abuse, violence, and exploitation.

Human Rights in India

• Human Rights protection in India is entrusted to the National Human Rights Commission of India, which is a statutory body under the provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act of 1993.
• National Human Rights Commission:
  • It is responsible for the protection and promotion of “rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants”.
  • Membership: It consists of a chairperson, five full-time Members, and seven deemed Members.
    • A person who has been the Chief Justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court will be a chairman.
  • Service and Removal: They serve for a term of three years or until they attain the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.
    • The members can be removed by the President under specific circumstances.
  • Functions of the National Human Rights Commission:
    • Investigation: The commission investigates complaints or failure of any public official regarding the violation of the rights, either suo moto or after receiving a petition.
    • Prevention and Safeguard: The commission has the responsibility of investigating the living conditions of the inmates in prisons and to make recommendations thereon. 
    • Research in Human Rights: The commission promotes research and encourages NGOs in the field of human rights. While making investigations, the commission enjoys the powers of a civil court. 
    • Effective Implementation of Treaties: The commission also studies treaties and other international instruments on human rights and makes recommendations for their effective implementation.
    • Intervention: It can intervene in proceedings involving any allegation of violation of human rights pending before a court after getting the approval of such court.

Conclusion:

Human Rights Day is an opportunity for the world to acknowledge the importance of human rights. It not only recognizes their role in the modern world but also seeks to strengthen them.