The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: fifty years later.

• Author: Matas, David
• Position: Hate, Genocide and Human Rights Fifty Years Later: What Have We Learned? What Must We Do ?

The speaker evaluates the effectiveness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights fifty years after its inception. On the positive side, he notes the pervasiveness of the right to democracy at the end of the twentieth century. He also highlights some of the international covenants and conventions that have been enacted since the inception of the Universal Declaration to enforce the rights it lays out, as well as examples of national legislation it has inspired, such as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Yet, although some of the Universal Declaration's provisions have flourished, others have withered. In some cases, this is due to the lack of any international enforcement mechanism. The creation of the Universal Declaration coincided with the end of the Nazi war criminal prosecutions at Nuremberg, and no permanent international criminal court has been created to carry on Nuoemberg's work. Lack of will has compromised the application of the Universal Declaration in two key areas of human fights: the right to be free from the incitement to discrimination, and the right to seek asylum. Ha notes, in particular, that Canada has been deficient in upholding these rights. While disagreeing on principle with ranking the rights protected by the Universal Declaration, be emphasizes bow critical the right to be free from the incitement to discrimination and the right to seek asylum are for preserving the most fundamental right of all, the right to life. In conclusion, the promise of the Universal Declaration will only be fulfilled if all its provisions are respected and upheld.

L'auteur fait l'evaluation de l'efficacite de la Declaration universelle des droits de l'homme, cinquante ans apres son adoption, n remarque d'abord la forte influence exercee par le principe des droits democratiques en cette fin de vingtieme siecle, en particulier a travers l'adoption de conventions et d'accords internationaux mettant en application les droits d'abord formules dans la Declaration universelle, ainsi que de lois nationales s'en inspirant, notamment la Charte canadienne des droits et libertes. Pourtant, pendant que certaines dispositions de la Declaration universelle rencontraient un indeniable succes, d'autres ont fait face a des echecs, dus dans plusieurs cas a l'absence de mecanisme international de mise en oeuvre. Ainsi, alors que l'adoption de la Declaration universelle coincidait avec la conclusion du proces des criminels de guerre nazis a Nuremberg, aucune cour criminelle internationale n'a jusqu'a maintenant ete etablie pour poursuivre le travail qui y avait ete entrepris.

Ce manque de volonte a particulierement compromis l'application de la Declaration universelle dans deux domaines cles des droits de l'homme : le droit de ne pas etre la cible d'incitation a la discrimination, et celui de chercher asile dans un autre Etat. Selon l'auteur, le Canada a manque a proteger ces droits. Bien qu'il ne saurait Etre question de mettre de l'avant une hierarchie des droits proteges par la Declaration universelle, il faut noter que la liberte contre l'incitation a la discrimination et le droit d'asile jouent un role de premier ordre dans la protection du droit le plus fondamental--celui a la vie. Les esperances soulevees par la Declaration universelle ne seront remplies que lorsque chacune de ses dispositions sera respectee et appliquee.

Fifty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (1) what should we think of it? For a person to reach fifty years is an achievement, For a document to reach fifty years is an inevitability. The mere longevity of the Universal Declaration does not justify recognizing its anniversary.

Like any fifty-year-old, some parts have fared better than others. Some of the articles in the Universal Declaration have flourished. Others have withered.

The right to democracy, the right of everyone to take part in the government of his or her country directly or through freely chosen representatives, (2) has become the ideology of the end of the twentieth century. A myriad of states that once touted the nondemocratic ideologies of communism, apartheid, or the national security state have become democracy adherents. The Internet has given the right to freedom of expression (3) a scope and breadth unimaginable in 1948.

The Universal Declaration has grown internationally and nationally. The international system has developed standards detailing specific parts of the Universal Declaration and mechanisms to implement those standards.

Take, for instance, the right to be free from torture. (4) There is now a Torture Convention, (5) a UN committee against torture, and an individual complaints mechanism. Many states have legislation criminalizing torture.

A myriad of political and civil rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, such as the right to life, liberty, and security of the person, (6) can be found in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. (7) A UN human rights committee oversees the implementation of this covenant. An optional individual petition mechanism provides a remedy for violations.

The economic, social, and cultural rights in the Universal Declaration, for example, the right to education, (8) have been strengthened and amplified by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. (9) Again, there is a committee established to oversee the implementation of this covenant.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been an inspiration for national legislation and national constitutions. Many provisions in the Canadian Bill of Rights, (10) the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, (11) the Canadian Human Rights Act, (12) and provincial human rights legislation are drawn directly from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has become a key tool when interpreting the Charter. Chief Justice Dickson wrote, in a 1987 case, "The content of international human rights obligations is, in my view, an important indication of the meaning of 'the full benefit of the Charter's protection'." (13)

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has spoken to individuals as much as to governments. Human rights organizations use the Universal Declaration to hold governments to account, to rally support for human rights. The Universal Declaration has given hope, has held out a promise to the people of the world. It has penetrated and sensitized the consciousness of humanity throughout the globe.

All the same, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I would suggest from fifty years' hindsight, was partner to a great mistake. This year [1998] is the fiftieth anniversary not only of the Universal Declaration, but also of the end of the prosecution of Nazi war criminals.

On 13 July 1948, the British government issued a secret cable to the seven dominions of the Commonwealth directing that "as many as possible of (Nazi war criminal) cases which are still awaiting trial should be disposed of by 31st August, 1948." (14) Also, "no fresh trials should be started after 31st August, 1948"; (15) "In our view, punishment of war criminals is more a matter of discouraging future generations than of meting out retribution to every guilty individual." (16)

One might well ask, how was it possible to discourage future generations without punishing the guilty? The answer the global community gave at the time was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Preamble to the Universal Declaration states, "Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind ..." (17) The global community proposed to prevent human rights violations by proclaiming, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, human rights standards.

Although the Universal Declaration has thirty articles and asserts a myriad of rights, it can be summed up in two words: "Never again". The Universal Declaration was an outgrowth from...