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Specific Content and Legal Status of the UDHR

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Abstract

This chapter concerns the substantive content and historical significance of the UDHR, including the ideological origin, contents of the articles, historical significance, etc., which fully underlines the status as a cornerstone and the role as a milestone in establishing the international human rights system. Freedom and equality constitute the ideological foundation of the UDHR, which was the first instrument to establish a detailed list of human rights including not only civil and political rights but also economic, social and cultural rights. These rights are interrelated and mutually dependent but together constitute the basic system of international human rights law. The UDHR not only proposes a common standard to be achieved by all nations and all peoples, but also becomes an important basis for international human rights legislation and provides a model of behavioral ethics for individuals and Member States of the United Nations.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Sun (2012, p. 391) (Also refer to Appendix A).

  2. 2.

    Yang (2008).

  3. 3.

    The second sentence, part I, the Preamble of the Declaration, refer to Sun (2012, pp. 391–392) (Also refer to Appendix A).

  4. 4.

    Eide and Alfredsson (1999, p. xxvii).

  5. 5.

    The third sentence, part I, the Preamble of the Declaration, refer to Sun (2012, p. 392) (Also refer to Appendix A).

  6. 6.

    Locke (1988, p. 351)/Also refer to: Locke (1964, pp. 77–78).

  7. 7.

    Yang (2003, p. 10).

  8. 8.

    Yang (2003, p. 10).

  9. 9.

    The fourth sentence, part I, the Preamble of the Declaration, refer to Sun (2012, p. 392). (Also refer to Appendix A).

  10. 10.

    The fifth sentence, part I, the Preamble of the Declaration, refer to Sun (2012, p. 392). (Also refer to Appendix A).

  11. 11.

    Lawson (1997, p. 7).

  12. 12.

    The fifth sentence, part II, the Preamble of the Declaration, refer to Sun (2012, p. 392) (Also refer to Appendix A).

  13. 13.

    Koskenniemi 1999, p. 30).

  14. 14.

    Article 1 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  15. 15.

    Eide (1999).

  16. 16.

    Levin (1990, p. 5).

  17. 17.

    Eide (1999).

  18. 18.

    Article 25 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  19. 19.

    Lindholm (1999, p. 43).

  20. 20.

    Lindholm (1999, p. 73).

  21. 21.

    Lindholm (1999, pp. 62–63).

  22. 22.

    Article 2 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  23. 23.

    Article 2 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  24. 24.

    Article 2 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  25. 25.

    Yang (2003, p. 387).

  26. 26.

    Skogly (1999, p. 75).

  27. 27.

    Skogly (1999, p. 87).

  28. 28.

    Article 6 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  29. 29.

    Bogdan and Olsen (1999, p. 148).

  30. 30.

    Article 7 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  31. 31.

    Article 29 in the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  32. 32.

    Donnelly (1998, p. 6).

  33. 33.

    Preamble of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  34. 34.

    Article 21 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  35. 35.

    Article 21 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  36. 36.

    Article 21 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  37. 37.

    Preamble of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  38. 38.

    Article 29 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  39. 39.

    Eide (1999).

  40. 40.

    Article 3 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  41. 41.

    Article 4 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  42. 42.

    Article 5 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  43. 43.

    Article 9 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  44. 44.

    Yang (2003, p. 125).

  45. 45.

    Article 13 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  46. 46.

    Article 8 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  47. 47.

    Article 9 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  48. 48.

    Article 10 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  49. 49.

    http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/archives/address_text.html (Accessed on February 16, 2017).

  50. 50.

    See the fifth paragraph of the first part of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action.

  51. 51.

    Article 25 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  52. 52.

    Article 24 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  53. 53.

    Article 17 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  54. 54.

    Article 23 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  55. 55.

    Zhao (1999).

  56. 56.

    Department of Public Information (1950, p. 535).

  57. 57.

    Department of Public Information (1950, p. 535).

  58. 58.

    Rehman (2003, p. 57).

  59. 59.

    Rehman (2003, p. 58).

  60. 60.

    Zhao (1999).

  61. 61.

    Han (1995, p. 120).

  62. 62.

    Zhao (1999).

  63. 63.

    Rehman (2003, p. 59).

  64. 64.

    Zhao (1999).

  65. 65.

    The 2004 Amendments in Chinese Constitution clearly add a general clause that “the state respects and safeguards human rights”, which becomes a legal basis in respecting and safeguarding human rights in China .

  66. 66.

    Rehman (2003, p. 60).

  67. 67.

    Refer to Appendix A.

  68. 68.

    Refer to Appendix A.

  69. 69.

    Eide and Alfredsson (1999, p. 1).

  70. 70.

    Zhao (1999).

  71. 71.

    It was also called the International Charter on Human Rights in academia.

  72. 72.

    Lu et al. (2003).

  73. 73.

    Zhu (2003, p. 32).

  74. 74.

    Refer to the Preamble of the European Convention on Human Rights.

  75. 75.

    Refer to the Preamble of the American Convention on Human Rights .

  76. 76.

    Refer to the Preamble of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights .

  77. 77.

    Bodenheimer (1967, p. 44).

  78. 78.

    Bodenheimer (1967, pp. 36–37).

  79. 79.

    Qi (2007).

  80. 80.

    Lu and Bao (2004).

  81. 81.

    Eide (2003, p. 13).

  82. 82.

    Hu (Ed.) (2004, p. 304).

  83. 83.

    Article 28 of the UDHR (Refer to Appendix A).

  84. 84.

    Koskenniemi (1999, p. 34).

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  1. School of Foreign Languages, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China

    Pinghua Sun

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Sun, P. (2018). Specific Content and Legal Status of the UDHR. In: Historic Achievement of a Common Standard. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8370-9_9

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