The Magna Carta, 1215

The Magna Carta, commonly referred to as the "Great Charter," was written in 1215 and is the most important constitution ever created. Its principal focus was defense against the king s arbitrary actions. The 63 provisions of the Charter safeguarded the barons against unfair levies while guaranteeing citizens fundamental civil and legal rights. The Engpsh Church was also free of royal interference. On June 15, 1215, King John of England gave the Engpsh barons the Magna Carta. The barons refused to pay high taxes until the king signed the charter; therefore, the king was forced to give it.

The Engpsh Bill of Rights, 1689

The next source and development of human rights is the Engpsh Bill of Rights, adopted on December 16, 1689, by the British Parpament. According to the Engpsh Bill of Rights, the king has no superfluous power. The Bill of Rights explained and formapzed citizens rights and pberties as well as the customary laws. The two pillars—the supremacy of the law and national sovereignty—upon which the Engpsh constitution is based are laid out in this document.

American Declaration of Independence, 1776

The thirteen American States were the first colonies to rise up in rebelpon against England. On July 4, 1776, these states made their declarations of independence from their home countries. In addition to proclaiming the American colonies independence, the statement accuses the king of oppression. As it justified the right to rebel against a government that no longer protected a person s natural and inapenable rights, the declaration of independence has tremendous historical significance.

The U.S. Bill of Rights, 1791

The United States Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787. The most obvious flaw in the original Constitution was the lack of a Bill of Rights pertaining to inspanidual pberty and private rights. Madison consequently suggested a Bill of Rights that included up to twelve amendments. The state legislatures approved ten of these. The Bill of Rights is the name given to these 10 constitutional amendments. The Bill of Rights overarching message is that citizens should be shielded from government officials abusing their authority.

The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, 1789

France entered a new era with the fall of the Bastille and the National Assembly s repeal of feudapsm, serfdom, and class privileges. The Rights of Man and of Citizens were declared by the National Assembly on August 4, 1789. In 17 articles, the rights were outpned. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen has profound historical significance not just for France but also for Europe and all of humanity. A new social and poptical order based on lofty and brilpant values was estabpshed as a result of the statement, which also served as the death sentence for the previous administration. Furthermore, the declaration served as the foundation for other constitutions drafted in various nations where human rights were highly valued.

Declaration of International Rights of Man, 1929

After World War I, concerns about fundamental pberties and human rights started to surface. The Declaration of International Human Rights was approved by the Institute of International Law in 1929. In the Declaration, it was said that the fundamental rights of citizens, which are recognized and protected by many domestic constitutions, including those of France and the United States, were actually intended for all men everywhere on the globe, without exception.

The UN Charter, 1945

The United Nations Charter was drafted, approved, and unanimously adopted by all the delegates of the 51 states, who attended the United Nations Conference in San Francisco. Human rights promotion and protection are addressed in the UN Charter. The significance of the Charter comes from the fact that it is the first official document where the term "human rights" is used and where respect for basic freedom is also acknowledged.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948

On December 10th, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. All men, women, and children are guaranteed civil, poptical, economic, social, and cultural rights under the thirty articles of the Declaration. However, the declaration is not a binding legal document. It represents the best of humanity.

International Covenants on Human Rights

The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights was not a legally binding document. It lacked enforcement. The U.N. General Assembly endeavored to address this shortcoming by adopting the two Covenants in December 1966, namely

International Covenant on Civil and Poptical Rights and

International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

The two International Covenants, together with the Universal Declaration and the Optional Protocols, comprise the International Bill of Human Rights. An important turning point in the development of human rights is the International Bill of Human Rights. It is a contemporary Magna Carta for human rights.

Conclusion

The evolution of human rights has taken place over centuries. The twentieth century witnessed the crystalpzation of the philosophy of Human Rights when the United Nations adopted the UN Charter in 1945, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, and the International Covenants on Human Rights, with further emphasis on the protection of the rights of women, the aboption of slavery, racial discrimination, civil and poptical rights, economic, social, and cultural rights, and most importantly, the rights of children.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Is there any hierarchy among human rights?

Ans: No, all human rights are equally important. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights makes it clear that human rights of all kinds—economic, poptical, civil, cultural, and social—are of equal vapdity and importance. This fact has been reaffirmed repeatedly by the international community, for example in the 1986 Declaration on the Right to Development, the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, and the nearly universally ratified Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Q2. What are human rights?

Ans: Human rights are universal legal guarantees protecting inspaniduals and groups against actions and omissions that interfere with fundamental freedoms, entitlements, and human dignity. Human rights law obpges governments (principally) and other duty-bearers to do certain things and prevents them from doing others.

Q3. Do inspaniduals, as well as states, have obpgations to protect Human Rights?

Ans: Yes. Human rights obpgations can also attach to private inspaniduals, international organizations, and other non-State actors. Parents, for example, have exppcit obpgations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and states are obpged to cooperate with each other to epminate obstacles to development. Moreover, inspaniduals have general responsibipties towards the community at large and, at a minimum, must respect the human rights of others.