This course critically examines the origins and concepts of human rights, its historical development in foreign policy, enshrinement in the United Nations Charter and the rise, role, strengths and weaknesses of human rights implementation at international, regional and domestic levels. To appreciate why and how human rights matters in today’s world, the course explores the flawed universality of human rights in law and practice, the impact of international human rights law at the local level, its relation to democratic governance and the rule of law, and current efforts to roll back and undermine human rights. The course highlights some religious and philosophic notions of rights, then concentrates on human rights as legally enforceable norms against the abuse of State power, human rights in the UN Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the phenomenon of entrenched patriarchic resistance to the human rights of women and feminist perspectives, the elaboration of UN and regional human rights norms and implementation, and the nexus between international human rights law to national human rights implementation. The course also explores genocide, torture, racial discrimination, freedom of religion or belief, gender equality, rights of refugees, and the full panoply of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights developed to protect and promote human dignity. Students should be well prepared to discuss current issues relating to national security and privacy, freedom of speech, rights of refugees and migrants as these news stories unfold in real time. Finally, the course places human rights into the context of democratic governance and the rule of law and relates human rights to the fields of international criminal law and laws of war.

1. Religious and Philosophical Notions of Human Dignity and Human Rights
2. The Emergence of Westphalian State Relations, Minority Rights and Freedom of Religion
3. Enlightenment Individualism, Liberalism and Socialist Contributions
4. Feminist Perspectives, the Human Rights of Women and the Girl Child and Gender Equality
5. World War Two: How and Why Human Rights became a Matter of International Legal Concern
6. The UN Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Multilateral Human Rights Treaties
7. Genocide, Racial Discrimination, Gender Equality, Torture, Arbitrary Detention, Summary Executions
8. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
9. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
10. The UN and Regional Systems of Human Rights Promotion and Protection
11. Does International Human Rights Translate into Reality at Local Levels?
12. Current Issues in Human Rights: Universality, National Security and Privacy, Free Speech, Violence against Women, Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief, Refugees and Migrants
13. Relationship among Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law
14. Human Rights, Armed Conflict and International Criminal Law
15. Review

1. Solid introductory level knowledge of the development, principles and application of human rights law
   
2. Appreciation of political factors that condition human rights promotion and protection
3. Enhanced capacity to identify and analyze current situations involving human rights issues
4. Understanding of strengths and weaknesses of human rights law, implementation and advocacy
5. Development of analytical and argumentation skills on current human rights issue

RECOMMENDED COURSE MATERIALS

Required: Andrew Clapham, Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction: Second Edition, Oxford (2015) (197 p)

ISBN: 9780198706168 which is accessible here ---à LINK