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The Foundation and Historical Development of International Human Rights

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International Human Rights Law

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Abstract

The notion of “human rights” is apparently simple; but it is actually quite complex. In fact, these rights have been, in the history of juridical philosophy, gradually defined with different terms (natural, innate, original, moral, fundamental rights); their historical origin is situated at different times; their legal foundation has been explained from varying perspectives by naturalism, positivism, juridical realism, institutional law theory; and the very notion of “human rights” has progressively widened.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Henkin (1995), p. 886.

  2. 2.

    Zanghì (2013), p. 5.

  3. 3.

    Focarelli (2008), p. 342.

  4. 4.

    See below, Sects. 1.4 and 13.1–13.3.

  5. 5.

    This contrast evokes, mutatis mutandis, the image of the State as Leviathan. See Hobbes (1651).

  6. 6.

    Art. 1: “[…] all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights […]”.

  7. 7.

    “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness …”.

  8. 8.

    These are ten amendments to the US Constitution of 1787.

  9. 9.

    Art. 1: “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions can only be based on common utility”; Art. 2: “The aim of every political association is the preservation of natural and inscribed human rights. These rights are freedom, property, security and resistance to oppression”.

  10. 10.

    See, for example, The Netherlands (1798), Sweden (1809), Spain (1812), Norway (1814), Belgium (1831), the Kingdom of Sardinia (1848), Denmark (1849), Prussia (1850).

  11. 11.

    Buergenthal et al. (2004), p. 3.

  12. 12.

    Buergenthal et al. (2004), p. 6.

  13. 13.

    See below, Sect. 16.1.

  14. 14.

    Buergenthal et al. (2004), p. 7.

  15. 15.

    Kälin and Künzli (2009), p. 11.

  16. 16.

    See below, Sect. 2.4.1.

  17. 17.

    The Treaty of Versailles was signed by 44 States and came into force on 10 January 1920.

  18. 18.

    See Kälin and Künzli (2009), pp. 12–13.

  19. 19.

    PCIJ, Mavrommatis Palestine Concessions, p. 12.

  20. 20.

    See below, Chap. 10.

  21. 21.

    See below, Chaps. 11–12.

  22. 22.

    These agreements contain both a detailed catalogue of human rights that States Parties are obliged to grant to all individuals under their jurisdiction and instruments of guarantee and control.

  23. 23.

    These rules include customs, principles of international law and general principles of law recognized by civilized nations in domestic courts.

  24. 24.

    See below, Chap. 2.

  25. 25.

    Cf. Cassese (1984), p. 321; Id. (2003–2004), vol. II, pp. 83–84.

  26. 26.

    And therefore neglecting the philosophical, historical, social, cultural aspects.

  27. 27.

    See, recently, Lenzerini (2014).

  28. 28.

    UDHR, Art. 1.

  29. 29.

    Cf. Lenzerini (2014); Crawford (2013), pp. 325–341. See also the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, 20 October 2005.

  30. 30.

    See below, Chaps. 3–5.

  31. 31.

    See below, Sects. 13.3.4 and 13.3.5.

  32. 32.

    See below, Sect. 14.1.

  33. 33.

    See below, Sect. 17.1.

  34. 34.

    See, e.g., the Convention on the Rights of the Child (below, Sect. 10.4.2.7).

  35. 35.

    See below, Sect. 3.1.

  36. 36.

    See below, Sects. 4.2 and 4.3.

  37. 37.

    For a closer examination of this notion see below, Chap. 13. As we shall see, it can be added that, within the smaller circle, there is another even smaller circle represented by human rights protected by jus cogens.

References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political and International Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Riccardo Pisillo Mazzeschi

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  1. Riccardo Pisillo Mazzeschi
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Pisillo Mazzeschi, R. (2021). The Foundation and Historical Development of International Human Rights. In: International Human Rights Law. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77032-7_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77032-7_1

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