Human rights are fundamental freedoms that all people are entitled to simply by being born. They cannot be taken away by others, and they are indivisible: one right is not more important than another; for example, the right to education depends on the rights to liberty and the right to life.
They are rooted in a belief in human dignity and equal worth. They are not new – ideas about rights and responsibilities have been around in many societies for centuries, but the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 gave global expression to these principles.
The rights are enforceable in the courts and at international bodies such as the United Nations. They are not, however, legally binding. Governments can and do derogate from some rights, for example in times of war or national emergency. However, the most effective way to protect people’s rights is through regular work with families and communities, educating them about what the human rights standards are and how they can be defended.
In order for military intervention to be justified, the following criteria must be fulfilled: Right intention – it should be clear that the primary purpose is to halt or avert human suffering; Last resort – only when non-military options have been explored and there are reasonable grounds for believing that they would not succeed; Proportional means – the scale, duration and intensity of the military action is proportionate to the objective of protecting a specific group of human rights abusers.