NHRC Celebrates Human Rights Day

Syllabus: GS2/ Polity and Governance

Context

• The President of India addressed the Human Rights Day celebration, organised by the National Human Rights Commission, in New Delhi.

What are Human Rights?

• Human rights are fundamental rights and freedoms that are inherent to all human beings, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or any other status. 
• These rights are considered universal, inalienable, and indivisible, forming the foundation for human dignity, equality, and justice. 
• Human rights are different from the Civil rights that are created and defined by laws within a specific nation.
  • Civil rights are legal rights granted and protected by a government, and they may change over time as laws are amended or updated.

Significance of Human Rights

• Inherent Dignity: Human rights affirm the inherent dignity of every individual. 
• Equality and Non-Discrimination: They strive to ensure that all individuals have equal opportunities and are treated with fairness and without prejudice.
• Protection from Abuse: Human rights provide a framework for holding governments, institutions, and individuals accountable for actions that violate these rights, promoting justice and accountability.
• Human Dignity in Crisis: In times of crisis, human rights provide a foundation for responding to emergencies in a way that upholds human dignity and prevents further harm.

Threats to Human Rights

• Cybercrimes: Increased instances of cyberbullying, online harassment, and identity theft that violate individual privacy and dignity.
• Mental Health Issues: The gig economy’s adverse effects on mental well-being due to job insecurity, lack of benefits, and the stress of unstable employment.
• Impact of Climate Change: Vulnerable populations face disproportionate risks from environmental degradation, including loss of livelihoods, displacement, and health crises.

Safeguards to Protect Human Rights 

UN  Human Rights Council:

• It is an inter-governmental body responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe.
• It was created by the United Nations General Assembly in 2006.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):

• The World Conference on Human Rights took place in Vienna, Austria in 1993. It led to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.
• It called for the establishment of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the post of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which was created in 1993.

Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI):

• GANHRI brings together and supports national human rights institutions (NHRIs) to promote and protect human rights.

Paris Principles:

• The Paris Principles set out six main criteria that NHRIs require to meet. These are:
  • Mandate and competence, 
  • Autonomy from Government, 
  • Independence guaranteed by a Statute or Constitution, 
  • Pluralism,
  • Adequate resources; and 
  • Adequate powers of investigation.
• These principles were adopted at the 1st international workshop on national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights held in Paris in 1991.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in India

• It is a statutory body, established under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993.
• It is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights, defined by the act as Rights Relating to Life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the constitution or embodied in the international covenants and enforceable by courts in India.

Source: TH