Human rights

Human rights refers to the concept of human beings as having universal rights, or status, regardless of legal jurisdiction, and likewise other localizing factors, such as ethnicity and nationality.

Related Topics:
Human beings - Rights - Jurisdiction - Ethnicity - Nationality

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In philosophy and politics, the content of human rights is often hotly debated. However, in law, human rights are put forward in international legal documents of the United Nations- although there is a great deal of variance between how human rights norms are upheld in different local jurisdictions.

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Within particular states, "human rights" refer to safeguards for the individual against arbitrary use of power by the government regarding 1) the well being of individuals, 2) the freedom and autonomy of individuals, and 3) the representation of the human interest in government.

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These rights commonly include the right to life, the right to an adequate standard of living, freedom from torture and other mistreatment, freedom of expression, freedom of movement, the right to self-determination, the right to education, and the right to participation in cultural and political life. These norms are based on the legal and political traditions of United Nations member states and are incorporated into international human rights instruments (see below).

Related Topics:
Right to life - Standard of living - Torture - Freedom of expression - Freedom of movement - Self-determination - Education - United Nations member states - International human rights instruments

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With the exception of so called non-derogable human rights (the four most important are the right to life, the right to be free from slavery and the right to be free from retroactive application of penal laws), most human rights can be limited or even pushed aside during times of war.http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/comp210.htm Conduct in war is governed by International Humanitarian Law.

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