Human and Community Rights Centre (HCRC) Blog

  The United Nations as a Human Rights Organization   Introduction   The United Nations was created in 1945 to promote international peace and security and is essentially linked to the promotion of human rights.   The UN Charter, which is the foundational treaty of the United Nations highlights the importance of respecting human dignity, equality, and justice. This importance of Human Rights respect was further enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and subsequent treaties, which together form the backbone of the international human rights system.   This article highlights the role of the United Nations as a human rights organization by laying emphasis to its framework, contributions, challenges in upholding Human Rights and further improvements in achieving this objective.   The Framework for Human Rights in the UN   Human rights are expressly incorporated into the UN's mission in the 1945 Charter. One of the organiz...

    THE UNITED NATIONS’ UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS INTRODUCTION The world’s recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. Whereas the disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people. In a civilized society, it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, then human rights should be protected by the rule of law.   The United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined...