A Word of Introduction to Human Rights from an International Perspective

The definition and concept of Human Rights (HAM) recognized by the international community are Human Rights as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This declaration, ratified by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948, is the initiator of instruments for respecting, protecting, and fulfilling Human Rights in the arena of international law. Although the declaration does not have binding legal force, it still has strong moral pressure. This is evidenced by the adoption of the declaration as a parameter for evaluating the enforcement, protection, and fulfillment of Human Rights by the majority of countries in the world.

Human Rights in the perspective of the declaration are conceptualized as freedom and equality inherent in humans absolutely. Every human being is born free and has inherent dignity and equality and rights that cannot be revoked or inalienable. Every human being is endowed with reason and conscience. These inherent rights must be given in full without differentiation caused by race, color, religion, and other status.

This declaration was accepted without any dissenting votes, although some countries did not express an opinion or abstained. These countries were the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Saudi Arabia, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Union of South Africa, and Yugoslavia. The attitude and position of abstention of these eight countries did not prevent this declaration from becoming the starting point for the birth of a legal face that is friendly and amicable to Human Rights. This is evidenced by the adoption of the International Covenant by the UN General Assembly on December 16, 1966 as a follow-up to the declaration.[2]

On December 16, 1966, the UN General Assembly adopted and ratified two covenants as international instruments in the field of Human Rights, namely International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Although the two covenants were ratified on December 16, 1966, the two covenants came into effect 10 years later. ICCPR came into effect on March 23, 1976, while ICESCR took effect on January 3, 1976.[3] As a follow-up UDHR, the two covenants regulate specific matters and there is integration between the two. With the two covenants and the declaration UDHR that initiated it, the prospect of unifying the conception of Human Rights and law enforcement of Human Rights is projected to gain clarity.