Assignment : Human Rights

Submitted to : Maim Rabia Ramzan

Submitted by : Sumaira Ashraf

Department : Political Science

Roll No : 2225131053

Semester: BS(lll)

Assignment Title: Universal Declaration of human rights

 UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

 HUMAN RIGHTS :

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of

race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.
Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery
and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and
education, and many more.

 UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United

Nations General Assembly resolution 217A at its 3rd session in Paris on
10 December 1948.A The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a
historic document which outlined the rights and freedoms everyone is
entitled to. It was the first international agreement on the basic
principles of human rights. It laid the foundation for the human rights
protections that we have in the UK today.

The Declaration outlines 30 rights and freedoms that belong to all of us

and that nobody can take away from us. The rights that were included
continue to form the basis for (International Human rights law).. Today,
the Declaration remains a living document. It is the most translated
document in the world.

 MAIN POINT OF DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS:

The 30 rights and freedoms set out in the UDHR include the right to be
free from torture, the right to freedom of expression, the right to
education and the right to seek asylum. It includes civil and political
rights, such as the rights to life, liberty and privacy.

 HOW MANY COUNTRIES HAVE SIGNED THE UNIVERSAL

DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS?

192 member states

Today there are 192 member states of the UN, all of whom have
signed on in agreement with the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.

Some non-western nations such as Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the
Soviet bloc were not as willing to participate in the process as others.
These states abstained from voting for the document,

 PRINCIPAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS:

1:Universal and inalienable :

The principle of universality of human rights is the cornerstone of

international human rights law. This principle, as first emphasized in
the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in 1948, has been
reiterated in numerous international human rights conventions,
declarations, and resolutions. The 1993 Vienna World Conference on
Human Rights, for example, noted that it is the duty of States to
promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms,
regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems.

All States have ratified at least one, and 80% of States have ratified
four or more, of the core human rights treaties, reflecting consent of
States which creates legal obligations for them and giving concrete
expression to universality.

2:Interdependent and Indivisible:

All human rights are indivisible, whether they are civil and political
rights, such as the right to life, equality before the law and freedom of
expression; economic, social and cultural rights, such as the rights to
work, social security and education , or collective rights, such as the
rights to development and self-determination, are indivisible,
interrelated and interdependent. The improvement of one right
facilitates advancement of the others. Likewise, the deprivation of one
right adversely affects the others.

3:Equal and Non-Discriminatory:

Non-discrimination is a cross-cutting principle in international human

rights law. The principle is present in all the major human rights
treaties and provides the central theme of some of international
human rights conventions such as the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
The principle applies to everyone in relation to all human rights and
freedoms and it prohibits discrimination on the basis of a list of non-
exhaustive categories such as sex, race, colour and so on. The
principle of non-discrimination is complemented by the principle of
equality, as stated in Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and
rights.”

4:Both Rights and obligations :

Human rights entail both rights and obligations. States assume

obligations and duties under international law to respect, to protect
and to fulfil human rights. The obligation to respect means that States
must refrain from interfering with or curtailing the enjoyment of human
rights. The obligation to protect requires States to protect individuals
and groups against human rights abuses. The obligation to fulfil means
that States must take positive action to facilitate the enjoyment of
basic human rights. At the individual level, while we are entitled our
human rights, we should also respect the human rights of others.

5:Participation and inclusion:

Every person and all peoples are entitled to active, free and
meaningful participation in, contribution to, and enjoyment of civil,
political, economic, social and cultural development, through which
human rights and fundamental freedoms can be realized. Rights-based
approaches require a high degree of participation by communities,
civil society, minorities, women, young people, indigenous peoples and
other .

6:Accountability and rule of law:

States and other duty-bearers must comply with the legal norms and
standards enshrined in human rights instruments. Where they fail to do
so, aggrieved rights-holders are entitled to institute proceedings for
appropriate redress before a competent court or other adjudicator, in
accordance with the rules and procedures provided by law.

 IMPLEMENTATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN PAKISTAN :

Article 1 of the Universal declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) by the
United Nations declares that all humans are born free and equal in
dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and
should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Harmoniously, Articles 14, 25 and 15 to 20 of the Constitution of
Pakistan protect the dignity, equality and liberty of the citizens. Hence,
all codes of human rights depict the absolute universality in terms of
instincts and natural rights. Then, There is a substantive convergence
on the cultural, religious, economic and political rights but, still there
exists a meaningful procedural divergence connecting cultural, political
and economic interests among states.

Constitutionally, Pakistan is a federal parliamentary democracy.

Human rights are protected as fundamental rights in the Constitution
of Pakistan. Article 8 of the constitution provides that any law
repugnant to the fundamental rights is void. Hence, this protection
proves the significance of human rights for state and society. Article 9
protects the security of a person. Article 10 guarantees safeguards as
to arrest and detention. Article 10A protects the right to fair trial and
due process. Article 11 prohibits slavery and forced labor. Article 12
protects against retrospective punishment. Article 13 protects against
double punishment and self-incrimination. Article 14 provides human
dignity and prohibits torture for the purpose of extracting evidence.
Article 15 provides freedom of movement. Article 16 provides freedom
of assembly. Article 17 provides freedom of association. Article 18
guarantees freedom of trade, business or profession. Article 19
provides freedom of speech and 19A provides right to information.
Article 20 ensures freedom to profess religion and to manage religious
institutions. Article 21 provides safeguards against taxation for the
purpose of any particular religion. Article 22 provides safeguards as to
educational institutions in respect of religion. Article 23 provides the
right to acquire, hold and dispose of property in any part of Pakistan.
Article 24 bestows protection of property rights. Article 25A enforces
all citizens to be equal before law. Article 25 provides the right to
education. Article 26 ensures that there shall be no discrimination in
respect of access to public places. Article 27 protects against
discrimination in services. Article 28 allows people to preserve
language, script and culture.

Besides, Chapter II of the Constitution enunciates principles of policy.

These principles are collective rights of the society. Article 31 explains
that Islamic way of life shall be promoted. Article 32 provides for the
promotion of local government institutions. Article 33 provides for the
discouragement of parochial and other similar prejudices. Article 34
ensures full participation of women in national life. Article 35 protects
marriage and family life. Article 36 provides safeguards and protection
to minorities.

Knowledge gap is the fundamental cause of deteriorating human rights

in Pakistan. Awareness of the contents and cause of human rights is
instrumental for better implementation of human rights. The best
mode to fill the knowledge gap is to incorporate the canons of
fundamental rights in the educational syllabus of the nation followed
by other awareness campaigns. Societal, cultural, political and
religious awareness is key to undo the lock of despondency.
Individuals, institutions and organizations should play their pivotal role
in creating the indispensable dissemination of Human Rights.

Administrative remedy to human rights is the way forward. The mode

is competent, prompt and unswervingly linked to the foundation of
implementation. Pakistan is confronting a capacity crisis and this is
choking the governance and service delivery. Pakistan guarantees
potent constitutional and legislative support to the cause of human
rights, but administrative bottlenecks are making us lag far behind in
implementation.

 Father of the Declaration of human rights:

(Rene Cassin)
As a soldier in World War I, the young lawyer René Cassin was severely
wounded. The experience marked him for life. In the inter-war years,
he represented France at the League of Nations, and worked for
disarmament.

 TEN STEP FOR IMPROVING HUMAN RIGHTS IN PAKISTAN:

1: End Sectarian Attacks:

Since January this year well over 300 Shia Muslims have been killed in
targeted attacks across Pakistan, the vast majority from the Hazara
community in Balochistan province. In 2012, well over 350 Shia
Muslims were killed in the country, over 100 of them from
Balochistan’s Hazara community. Sunni militant groups, such as the
ostensibly banned Lashkar-e Jhangvi, operate with widespread
impunity across Pakistan, as law enforcement officials and security
agencies effectively turn a blind eye to attacks.
Human Rights Watch urges the Pakistani government to apprehend
and prosecute those responsible for attacks on the Shia and other
groups at risk

2: Protect Religious Minorities:

Pakistan’s blasphemy law continues to be used to target religious

minorities and those who express unpopular views about religion. At
least 16 people remain on death row for blasphemy, while another 20
are serving life sentences. On March 9, 2013, hundreds of Christians
had to flee their homes in the city of Lahore as over 100 houses owned
by them were looted and burned by a rioting mob over an allegation
that a Christian resident of the colony had committed blasphemy.
Police and administrative authorities did not intervene to protect the
victims or their property. The blasphemy law facilitates such abuse and
Pakistan’s refusal to reform or repeal the law creates an environment
of persistent vulnerability for minority communities.
3:Protect HUMAN rights :

Violence against women and girls including rape, “honor” killings, acid
attacks, domestic violence, and forced marriage remains a serious
problem because of a combination of poor laws and poor enforcement
of existing laws.
Despite the high levels of domestic violence some local
nongovernmental organizations say about 70 or 80 percent of
Pakistani women experience some form of domestic violence
parliament has yet to enact a law to prevent such violence and protect
women who experience it.
4: End Abuses and Enforced Disappearances in Balochistan:

Human Rights Watch notes that Attorney General Munir Malik recently
informed the Supreme Court that over 500 persons reported to be
missing in the country were in the custody of state security
agencies.Human Rights Watch has also recorded continued enforced
disappearances and killings of suspected Baloch militants and
opposition activists by the military, intelligence agencies, and the
paramilitary Frontier Corps.
5: End Militant Abuses:
Suicide bombings, armed attacks, and killings by the Taliban, al Qaeda,
and their affiliates continue, targeting politicians, journalists, and
religious minorities, as well as state security personnel. Hundreds of
schools have been attacked. Many of these attacks have been claimed
by groups such as the Haqqani network, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and
other al-Qaeda affiliates.
6: End Counterterrorism Abuses:

Pakistan’s security forces have routinely violated basic rights in the

course of counterterrorism operations. Suspects are frequently
detained without charge or convicted without a fair trial. Thousands of
suspected members of al Qaeda, the Taliban, and other armed groups.
who were rounded up in a nationwide crackdown that began in 2009 in
Swat and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas remain in illegal
military detention; few were prosecuted or produced before the
courts.
7: Ensure Media Freedom:

A climate of fear impedes media coverage of the state security forces

and militant groups. Journalists rarely reported on human rights abuses
by the military in counterterrorism operations, and the Taliban and
other armed groups regularly threatened media outlets over their
coverage. In 2013, at least four journalists have been killed in Pakistan
and at least eight journalists were killed in Pakistan during the previous
year, No one was held accountable in any of these cases.
8: Restore Human Rights Ministry:

Human Rights Watch noted with alarm your government’s decision to

abolish the federal Ministry of Human Rights. The abolition of the
ministry is likely to harm government efforts to promote and protect
human rights and will result in human rights concerns being side-lined
in government decision-making.
It is a conflict of interest and bad policy to merge the Human Rights
Ministry with the Law Ministry.
9: Constitute National Human Rights Commission:

In May 2012, President Asif Ali Zardari signed into law a bill creating a
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The bill was passed with
the support of your Pakistan Muslim League (N) party in the national
assembly and senate. More than a year later the NHRC has not yet
been constituted and the consultation process required to constitute it
has yet to begun.
Human Rights Watch urges you to promptly constitute the NHRC so
that it can begin functioning. This is a simple step and a test of your
government’s commitment to human rights.
10: Restore Moratorium on Death Penalty:

Pakistan’s 2008 moratorium on the death penalty was widely hailed

across the world. Human Rights Watch notes with alarm a statement
by Pakistan’s Interior Ministry that your government does not intend to
renew the moratorium on the death penalty which expired on June 30,
2013. However, it appears that a review of the policy to end the
moratorium is underway and Human Rights Watch urges you to ensure
that it remains in place. Pakistan has one of the highest numbers of
convicts on death row in the world.

 CONCLUSION :

In a world where human rights enforcement is still a challenge in both

developed and developing countries, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (UDHR) serves as a lighthouse for the international
community on the standards that should be set for the protection and
promotion of human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
marked the beginning of a new era of hope for respect for all people’s
inherent equality and dignity. It paved the way for the drafting of
international human rights treaties and the formation of several human
rights organisations. It gave greater legitimacy to the subject of human
rights around the world, putting it firmly on the agendas of both
national governments and the international community.

Reference:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/10/07/implementing-human-rights-in-
pakistan/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights
https://www.humanrightscommission.ky/human-rights-principles#:~:text=Overarching
%20Human%20Rights%20Principles&text=These%20rights%20are%20all
%20interrelated,and%20Both%20Rights%20and%20Obligations.