The human rights timeline has a relatively recent origin in human history. Its definitive origin dates from the end of the Second World War as a way of generating global awareness about the rights of human beings by virtue of their well-being.
In this way, for example, the Hindus created the Vedas and the Babylonians the Hammurabi Code, in turn the Bible, the Koran and the Analects of Confucius were written.
All these texts are the oldest sources where issues related to people's obligations, their rights and responsibilities are addressed (Rights U. f., 2017).
The Incas and Aztecs also created codes of conduct and justice where the well-being of the people was ensured based on certain agreements endorsed by the culture.
All these codes had their origin before the eighteenth century and compiled in written form the tradition of societies to ensure justice, health and well-being of all individuals.
Precursors of Human Rights
The precursor documents of what we know today as human rights are the Magna Carta (1215), the English Declaration of Rights (1689), the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens (1789) and the Constitution and Declaration of Rights of United States (1791) (Rights, 2017).
United States Bill of Rights (1791)
However, many of these documents were originally used as laws that excluded women, people of color, and members of certain religious, economic, and political groups.
However, historically oppressed people in the world have resorted to the principles recounted in these documents to sustain the revolutions that sought the right to self-determination.
The International Law of Human Rights and the creation of the United Nations Organizations (UN), have remarkable historical references.
The efforts that took place during the 19th century to prohibit slavery, human trafficking and limit the errors of war, are some examples of this background.
In 1919, the countries of the world established the International Labor Organization (ILO) with the aim of protecting workers and respecting their rights, including their health and safety.
Concern for the protection of certain minorities was addressed by the League of Nations after the First World War ended.
Despite this, this organization that sought international peace and cooperation, never achieved its objectives.
Ultimately, the League of Nations did not prosper because the United States refused to participate in it after the League failed in its attempt to prevent Japan's invasion of China and Manchuria (1931) and Italy's attack on Ethiopia (1935).. Finally, the League died when World War II broke out (1939).
Birth of the UN
The concept of human rights became stronger after the Second World War. The extermination carried out by the Germans of approximately six million Jews, Sinti and Roma, homosexuals and disabled people, horrified the world.
In this way, trials were brought in Nuremberg and Tokyo after the war, and the officials of the defeated countries were punished for committing war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity (Minnesota, nd).
It was then that the governments committed to the creation of the United Nations (UN), with the primary objective of promoting international peace and preventing conflict.
People wanted to ensure that no individual would ever again be unfairly denied the right to life, liberty, food, shelter and nationality (Nations, 2017).
In this way, international voices were raised seeking the protection of human rights. This is how in 1945 in the city of San Francisco the first draft of the UN was made.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The UN member states promised to promote respect for human rights. To fulfill this objective, the UN established the International Commission on Human Rights and made it responsible for the task of drafting a document defining the fundamental rights and freedoms proclaimed in the Charter.
On December 10, 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the 56 members of the UN. The vote was unanimous, although eight nations decided to abstain from voting (Liberty, nd).
This declaration is known as the International Magna Carta and includes relevant information on how nations should treat their citizens as a legitimate matter of international interest and concern.
This is how it is claimed that rights are all interdependent, indivisible and recognize the inherent dignity and equality of all members of humanity, in order to ensure their freedom, justice and world peace.
Today, this bill of rights is incorporated into the constitution of more than 185 nations of the world, all of them members of the UN.
Eleanor Roosevelt with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Although the declaration is not legally a document that can regulate the normativity of a nation, it became a vital document for the regulation of international laws and is considered as a common standard that aims to achieve the well-being of all people in all the nations.
There are two conventions that were subsequently created by the International Commission on Human Rights to ensure compliance with them.
One convention deals with Civil and Political Rights and another with Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of people (Rayner, 2017).
These two conventions together with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights make up the totality of human rights as they are known today.
You may be interested in organizations that defend Human Rights.
References
- (sf). Liberty. Retrieved from The History of Human Rights: liberty-human-rights.org.uk
- Minnesota, U. o. (sf). Human Rights Here and Now. Retrieved from A Short History of Human Rights: hrlibrary.umn.edu.
- Nations, U. (2017). United Nations. Retrieved from History of the Document: un.org
- Rayner, M. (2017). History of Human Rights. Obtained from HISTORY OF UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS - UP TO WW2: universalrights.net.
- Rights, U. f. (2017). United for Human Rights. Retrieved from A BRIEF HISTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS: humanrights.com.
- Rights, YF (2017). Youth For Human Rights. Retrieved from A LOOK AT THE BACKGROUND OF HUMAN RIGHTS: youthforhumanrights.org.