The topic of human rights and their violation in various parts of the world has become a prevalent issue in recent times. State repression and the use of violence to deny basic human rights to a population or a specific group based on religion or other factors is no longer tolerated, particularly by international media and organizations such as INHRC and UNHRC. However, is there a difference between human rights discussed by these organizations and the fundamental rights guaranteed by some countries’ constitutions to their citizens? A closer examination of both is required.
Human rights refer to the rights one has as a human being, regardless of whether they live in advanced countries or poor, underdeveloped ones. Despite much discussion and brainstorming, there has been no global consensus on what constitutes basic human rights. The human rights movement led by western, advanced countries in the 1970s gained momentum in the following decades. Today, whenever there is a violation or suppression of these rights anywhere in the world, organizations such as UNHRC, INHRC, and Amnesty International work to pressure the international community to help restore these rights to the affected country’s people.
Key Takeaways
- Fundamental rights are rights and freedoms guaranteed by some countries’ constitutions to their citizens, with legal sanction and enforceability in a court of law.
- Human rights are more basic in nature than fundamental rights and apply to all human beings worldwide without discrimination, while fundamental rights are country-specific.
- While there is no consensus on universal human rights, fundamental rights are specific and have legal sanction, and human rights are relatively new compared to the older fundamental rights enshrined in various countries’ constitutions.
