International Human Rights: Categories, Obligations, and Core Freedoms

Fundamental Human Rights: Obligations and Categories

Obligation to Respect Rights and Non-Discrimination

States Parties to this Convention undertake to respect the rights and freedoms recognized herein and to ensure free and full exercise to all persons subject to their jurisdiction, without any discrimination based on:

• Race, color, sex, language, or religion;
• Political or any other opinion;
• National or social origin, property, birth, or other status.

Core Civil and Political Rights

Right to Life

Everyone has the right to respect for his life. This right is protected by law and, in general, from the time of the conception. Nobody can be deprived of life arbitrarily.

Protection of Honor and Dignity

Everyone has the right to respect for his honor and recognition of their dignity. No one can be subject to arbitrary or abusive interference with his privacy, family, home, or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his reputation.

Freedom of Conscience and Religion

Everyone has the right to freedom of conscience and religion. This right includes the freedom to maintain their religion or belief or to change religion or beliefs, as well as the freedom to profess and disseminate his religion or belief, both in public and in private.

Specific Enumerated Rights (Articles 14–16)

• Article 14: Right to work, travel, to petition the authorities, to profess freely worship, teaching, and learning.
• Article 15: On the abolition of slavery.
• Article 16: On the prerogatives of blood.

Categorization of Rights

First Generation: Civil and Political Rights

These rights include:

• The right to life, physical and psychological integrity;
• The right to think and speak freely;
• The right to participate freely in the government of his country;
• The right not to be detained without a legal ground;
• The right to stand trial with guarantees of impartiality.

Second Generation: Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR)

These rights contribute to securing individual liberty and aim to ensure equality of all men and women. They include:

• The rights to employment and fair wages;
• Housing, health, and education;
• Culture;
• Special care for children and maternity.

Third Generation: The Rights of Solidarity

The beneficiaries of this third generation are not individuals, but rather the peoples, nations, communities, ethnic groups, and inclusive humanity.

To be met, these rights require mutual respect and collaboration among the various nations of the international community. Issues like environmental contamination or war, for example, cannot be stopped without the commitment of all countries in the world.