NAME: Maria Choedora C.

Cinco
COURSE: BSA-1a

HUMAN RIGHTS

HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

Around the world, human rights are an integral part of situations in which humanitarian
assistance is required. Victims might be refugees, displaced people or other civilians
caught up in internal conflicts. Still, their plight is the same. Their human rights are likely
to have been violated and they need protection and assistance.

"Human rights violations are a major cause of refugee flows", says Sadako Ogata, the UN
High Commissioner for Refugees. Refugees also suffer a range of abuses once they leave
their homes, from piracy and rape to arrest, detention, torture and discrimination in the
country to which they have escaped.

The international community is increasingly focusing on preventive action to address

problems before they become humanitarian emergencies.
NAME: Josfe Grace T. Amila
COURSE: BSA-1a

Respect for human rights begins with the way society treats its children.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was founded in 1946 to promote the
rights of children. UNICEF, the only organization of the United Nations dedicated
exclusively to children, works with other United Nations agencies, governments and non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide community-based services in primary
health care, nutrition, basic education, and safe water and sanitation in over 140
developing countries.
On 20 November 1989, the UN General Assembly adopted the historic Convention on the
Rights of the Child. To date it has been ratified by 191 countries. This landmark treaty is
the most complete statement of children’s rights ever and is the first to give these rights
the force of international law.

NAME: Iana Marie Gabrielle Lubaino

COURSE: BSA-1a

Respect for human rights will not be universal until women’s rights are recognized and
protected.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was
adopted by the General Assembly in 1979 and has now been ratified by over 160
countries. Compliance is monitored by the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
The UN Commission on the Status of Women focuses on elaborating the rights of
women, and UNIFEM, the UN Development Fund for Women, has a special programme
which works to promote and protect women’s rights.
But around the world, cultural and traditional forces continue to subject women to
secondary status. All too often violations remain hidden and silent.
The global women’s movement, a new cultural force, is working to break the silence and
demand that rights for women everywhere be respected and upheld.

Never before have so many people crossed borders in search of better lives. And experts
predict that the number of migrant workers—estimated at nearly 100 million—will only
rise with increased globalization. But where they seek improved living standards, many
migrant workers find instead discrimination and abuse. The Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) extends legal protection and humanitarian
assistance to millions of refugees. Another UN agency. The International Labour
Organization (ILO), protects the rights of workers.

In 1990, following 10 years of negotiations, the General Assembly adopted the

International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and
Members of their Families.

However, the treaty has not yet entered into force because it needs ratification by 20
Governments and as of September 1997 had only been ratified by nine: Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Colombia, Egypt, Morocco, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka
and Uganda.
Often marginalized in society, disabled persons constitute ten per cent of the world’s
population.

They are frequently denied the most basic educational opportunities. Physical restrictions
bar them from public buildings and transport. Social attitudes exclude them from cultural
life and normal relationships. Prejudice and ignorance often lead to unnecessary
institutionalization.

The World Health Organization (WHO) works to promote the right to health for all. In
striving for a consensus on the protection of the rights of disabled persons, the General
Assembly adopted the Standard Rules on the Equal-ization of Opportunities for Persons
with Disabilities in 1993. The rules offer an instrument for policy-making in the quest for
a society for all which recognizes the development of the human potential of each person.

Full human dignity means not only freedom from torture, but also freedom from hunger.
It means freedom to vote and the right to education. It means freedom of expression and
the right to health. It means the right to enjoy all rights without discrimination. The UN
Development Programme (UNDP) strives to ensure economic and social development
that respects individual human rights.

In 1986, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Right to

Development, which states that:
"The human person is the central subject of development and should be the participant
and beneficiary of the right to development."

However, despite international efforts, over one billion people today live in absolute
poverty on less than $1 a day.

Good governance, democracy and popular participation are increasingly viewed as key
agents in the quest for economic and social development, as are equitable trade terms and
debt relief.