SOLIDARITY/COLLECTIVE

 RIGHTS  
 
Peace,  Development,  Environment  
• Right  to  Peace  
o Belongs  to  the  category  of  solidarity/collective  rights  
o Universally  recognized  that  peoples  of  the  earth  have  a  sacred  right  to  peace  and  that  
the  promotion  of  its  implementation  constitute  a  fundamental  obligation  of  each  
State  
o Conflicts  of  an  international  character  and  non  international  character  have  resulted  in  
millions  of  casualties  and  have  caused  untold  sufferings  to  peoples  of  the  world  
§ Number  of  conflicts  of  an  international  character  has  declined  since  World  War  II  
§ Non-­‐international   conflicts   during   the   20th   century   (internal   conflicts   and  
tyrannical  regime  victimization)  have  resulted  in  more  than  170  million  deaths  
o International  instruments  related  to  peace  
§ UN  Declaration  on  Principles  of  International  Law  Concerning  Friendly  Relations  
and  Cooperation  Among  States  
§ UN  General  Assembly  Resolution  
• 33/73  Declaration  on  the  Preparation  of  Societies  for  Life  in  Peace  (1978)  
§ Declaration  on  the  Right  of  People  to  Peace  (2002)  
§ UNGA  Resolution  
• 45/14  Implementation  of  the  Rights  of  Peoples  to  Peace  
• Right  to  Development  
o Another  example  of  a  solidarity/collective  right  
o Comprehensive   economic,   social,   cultural   and   political   process   which   aims   at   the  
constant   improvement   of   the   well-­‐being   of   the   entire   population   and   of   all  
individuals   through   their   meaningful   participation   (Declaration   on   the   Right   to  
Development,  1986)  
o Process   of   expanding   the   freedoms   that   people   enjoy   and   requires   removal   of  
major   sources   of   unfreedom   like   poverty,   tyranny,   poor   economic   opportunities,  
systematic   social   deprivation,   neglect   of   public   facilities,   intolerance   or   overactivity   of  
repressive  states  (Amartya  Sen)  
o Poverty   embraces   the   spectrum   of   conditions   where   freedoms   are   diminished  
and  denied  
o Proclaimed  in  the  UN  Declaration  on  the  Right  of  Development  (1986)  
o Also  recognized  in  
§ The  African  Charter  on  Human  Rights  and  People’s  Rights  
§ Arab  Charter  on  Human  Rights  
o Reaffirmed  in  instruments  like    
§ The  1992  Rio  Declaration  on  Environment  and  Development  
§ The  1993  Vienna  Declaration  and  Programme  of  Action  
§ The  Millenium  Declaration  
§ The  2002  Monterey  Consensus  
§ The  2005  World  Summit  Outcome  Document  
§ The  2007  Declaration  on  the  Rights  of  Indigenous  Peoples  
• Right  to  Environment  
o Important  right  because  of  global  warming,  climate  change,  the  damaging  effects  of  
environmental   pollution   on   human   beings   and   the   degradation   of   the   world’s  
environment  that  includes  land,  water  and  air  
o Global   recognition   that   human   right   and   environmental   protection   are   connected   and  
that  man  has  a  fundamental  right  to  an  environment  that  permits  a  life  of  dignity  and  
well-­‐being  became  explicit  only  in  1972  at  the  Stockholm  Conference  
 § This   conference   is   considered   an   important   starting   point   in   developing  
environmental  law  at  the  global  and  national  levels  
§ Principle   1:   Man   has   the   fundamental   right   to   freedom,   equality   and   adequate  
conditions  of  life,  in  an  environment  of  a  quality  that  permits  a  life  of  dignity  and  
well-­‐being,   and   he   bears   a   solemn   responsibility   to   protect   and   improve   the  
environment  for  present  and  future  generations  
o Right   to   environment   is   directly   mentioned   in   the   International   Covenant   on  
Economic,   Social   and   Cultural   Rights   in   Article   12   which   states   that  “The  steps  to  be  
taken  by  the  States  Parties  to  the  present  Covenant  to  achieve  the  full  realization  of  this  
right   shall   include   those   necessary   for   the   improvement   of   all   aspects   of   enviromnetal   and  
industrial  hygiene”  
o Treaties  that  contain  environmental  obligations  for  States:  
§ 1972  World  Heritage  Convention  
§ 1985  Vienna  Convention  
§ 1987  Montreal  Protocol  on  Substances  that  Deplete  the  Ozone  Layer  
§ 1989   Basel   Convention   on   the   Control   of   Transboundary   Movements   of  
Hazardous  Wastes  and  Disposal  
§ 1992  Convention  on  Biological  Diversity  
 
Women,   Children,   Persons   With   Disabilities,   Indigenous   Peoples:  Among  the  world’s  vulnerable,  
disadvantaged  and  marginalized  groups  of  people  or  sectors.    
• Women  
o Comprise  ½  of  humanity    
o Face  persistent  and  widespread  denial  of  their  basic  rights  
§ Over   half   a   million   women   continue   to   die   each   year   from   pregnancy   and  
childbirth-­‐related  causes  
§ Rates   of   HIV   infection   among   women   are   rapidly   increasing   partly   because   of  
their  economic  and  social  vulnerability  
§ Gender-­‐based   violence   kills   and   disables   as   many   women   between   the   ages   15  
and  44  as  cancer  
§ Women  are  twice  as  likely  as  men  to  be  illiterate  
§ Earn  less  than  men  even  for  similar  kinds  of  work  
o Many   countries   that   have   ratified   the   Convention  on  the  Elimination  of  All  Forms  of  
Discrimination   Against   Women   still   have   discriminatory   laws   governing   marriage,  
land,  property  and  inheritance  
o The   core   international   human   rights   instruments   that   pertain   to   women   and   their  
rights:  
§ The  Declaration  on  the  Elimination  of  Discrimination  Against  Women  
§ Convention  on  the  Political  Rights  of  Women  
§ Declaration  on  the  Protection  of  Women  and  Children  in  Emergency  and  Armed  
Conflict  
• Children  
o Exploited,  abused,  maltreated,  deprived  of  education,  sold,  subjected  to  cruel  methods  
of  punishment  and  discriminated  against  
o Street   children,   child   workers,   child   brides,   child   combatants,   child   abductees,   child  
offenders  living  lives  without  parole,  child  refugee  and  children  without  education  
o Full  range  of  human  rights  is  found  in  Convention  on  the  Rights  of  the  Child  
§ First  legally  binding  international  instrument  on  children’s  rights  
§ Enumerates  3  basic  rights  
• Right  to  survival  
• Right  to  develop  to  the  fullest  
 • Protection  from  harmful  influences,  abuse  and  exploitation  
• Participate  fully  in  family,  cultural  and  social  life  
o 2  Optional  Protocols  to  prevent  growing  abuse  and  exploitation  of  children  
§ Optional   Protocol   on   the   involvement   of   children   in   armed   recruitment   and  
requires  States  to  do  everything  they  can  to  prevent  children  under  the  age  of  18  
from  taking  direct  part  in  hostilities    
§ Optional   Protocol   on   the   sale   of   children,   child   prostitution   and   child  
pornography   that   draws   special   attention   to   the   criminalization   of   serous  
violations   of   human   rights   and   emphasizes   the   need   for   public   awareness   and  
international  cooperation  to  combat  them  
• PWDs  
o “those   who   have   long-­‐term   physical,   mental,   intellectual   or   sensory   impairments,   which   in  
interaction   with   various   barriers   may   hinder   them   full   and   effective   participation   in  
society   on   equal   basis   with   others”   (Art.  1  UN  Convention  on  the  Rights  of  Persons  With  
Disabilities)  
o “those  suffering  from  restriction  or  different  abilities,  as  a  result  of  a  mental,  physical  or  
sensory  impairment,  to  perform  an  activity  in  the  manner  or  within  the  range  considered  
for  a  human  being”  (Magna  Carta  for  Disables  Persons)  
o Estimated  50  million  PWDs  in  the  world  today  (number  increases)  
§ Due   to   war   and   destruction,   unhealthy   living   conditions,   absence   of   knowledge  
about  disability,  its  causes,  prevention  and  treatment  
o WHO  estimates  that  15%  of  the  world  has  a  disability  
§ Higher  prevalence  in  post-­‐conflict  countries  
o Suffer   from   discrimination   and   often   do   not   enjoy   opportunities   because   of   lack   of  
access  to  essential  services  
o International  instruments  that  pertain  to  PWDS    
§ Declaration  on  the  Rights  of  Mentally  Retarded  Persons  
§ Declaration  on  the  Rights  of  Deaf-­‐Blind  Persons  
§ Convention   No.   59   concerning   Vocational   Rehabilitation   and   Employment  
(Disabled  Persons,  1983)  
§ Principles   for   the   Protection   of   Persons   with   Mental   Illnesses   and   the  
Improvement  of  Health  Care    
§ Standard  Rule  on  the  Equalization  of  Opportunities  for  Persons  with  Disabilities  
§ Beijing  Declaration  on  the  Rights  of  People  with  Disabilities  
§ Convention  on  the  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  
• Indigenous  Peoples  
o Those   that   have   historically   belongs   to   a   particular   region   or   country   before   it  
colonization   or   transformation   in   to   a   nation,   state   and   may   have   different   cultural,  
linguistic,  traditional  and  other  characteristics  
o Approximately  370  million  indigenous  people  spanning  70  countries  worldwide  
o 10%  of  the  population  in  the  Philippines  
o Generally  live  in  geographically  isolated  areas  with  poor  access  to  basic  social  services  
and  limited  opportunities  for  mainstream  economic  activities  
o Minerals,  forests  and  rivers  can  be  found  where  they  are  and  make  them  vulnerable  to  
development  aggression  
o UN  Declaration  on  the  Rights  of  Indigenous  Peoples  
§ Recognizes  that  indigenous  peoples  have  suffered  from  historical  injustices  as  a  
result   of   their   colonization   and   dispossession   of   their   lands,   territories   and  
resources  
• Preventing   them   from   exercising   their   right   to   development   based   on  
their  needs  and  interests  
§ Acknowledges   the   urgent   need   to   respect   and   promote   the   inherent   rights   of  
indigenous  peoples  
§ Most   comprehensive   instrument   detailing   the   rights   of   indigenous   peoples   in  
international  law  and  policy  
§ Contains   minimum   standard   for   the   recognition,   protection   and   promotion   of  
rights  
• Self-­‐determination  
• Right  to  lands,  territories  and  resources  
• Health  
• Education  
• Employment  
• Housing  
• Sanitation  
• Social  security  
• Adequate  standard  of  living  
• Not  to  be  subjected  to  assimilation  or  destruction  of  their  culture  
• Practice  and  revitalize  their  cultural  traditions  and  customs,  etc.