Volume XXXIV – Number 1
Laura Fick
Abstract: Despite massive recent human rights violations such as ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia and genocide in Rwanda, the world is still a better place than it once was. This improvement in humanitarianism worldwide is due to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) causing nations to observe rights that were once only talked about. Binding documents ratified through the United Nations following the atrocities of World War II, and most importantly the UDHR, have produced more safeguards for citizens than ever before. While support for the protection of human rights can be traced as far back as the Treaty of Westphalia, it was not until after WWII that they became a priority. The formation of the UN symbolized a prioritization of human rights through their recommendations of human rights standards so authoritative that they have achieved the status of customary international. However, criticisms exist, including that the UN has eroded state sovereignty as it demonstrates increasing willingness to step in when it sees fit to stop human rights abuses. Since the ratification of the UDHR, it has been largely successful in inspiring the creation of other substantive human rights laws, and through its creation of a human rights consciousness, it has been successful in achieving its goals. This success has come in the face of criticism over international humanitarian law interfering with sovereignty, as well as the challenges presented by cultural diversity and relativism.
Key Words: United Nations, Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law
