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Human Rights and Freedom

Presentation by David Hansen, Director at Civita

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What…• Human Rights

– Natural Rights– Civil Rights– Liberal Rights / Fundamental Freedoms

• The International Human Rights– The International Bill of Rights

• UDHR + CPR + ESCR– The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)

• International Public Law

• National Law (dualism vs monism)

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International Human Rights: Work in progress…

1948: UN Declaration on Human Rights

1966: Two International Conventions:

CPR og ESCR

1976: 35 states

2008: 160 states

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International Human Rights: Work in progress…

Convention on the Eliminationof All Forms of Racial Discrimination

(CERD)

Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination

against Women (CEDAW)

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or

Degrading Treatment or

Punishment (CAT)

Convention on the Rights of the Child

(CRC)

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Why…• The Big (Political) Project

– Never Again…– Peace, co-existence, development– The many compromises and the long way…

• From The Ancient via The Enlightenment to Contemporary time

• Man Made and / or God Given?

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How…• The National State

– Government– Citizens– Civil Society and Private Sector

• The International Institutions– Institutionalised Protection and Promotion– Everyone is entitled to a social and international

order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized. (art. 28)

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How…Human

rights-basedapproaches

Human rightsmainstreaming

Human rightsdialogues

Human rights projects

Implicit human rights work

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_zks9fmDjc

Liberty by LawMagna Carta 1215 (King John)

Charter of Liberties 1100 (Henry I)

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“I think that to do everything we can to find, as I say, something that would destroy weapons and not humans is a great step forward in human rights.”

President Reagan (i TV-debatt i Kansas City under presidentvalgkampen 1984 vs Mondale)

 

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Challenges…• the Failed States

• the (too) Strong States

• the (faltering) international institutions

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Challenges…• Mulla Krekar’s Rights

• How Nazi can one be allowed to be?

• Omnipresence… turning all human desires into rights…

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Challenges…• Absolutte Rights

• Universal Rights

• Relative Rights

In sub-Saharan Africa 1 out of 22 women giving birth die – in comparison 1 out of 7300 in developed countries.

More than 500.000 women die from pregnancies and childbirthannually

Maternal Mortality

FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATIONIn f. ex. Sudan, Ethiopia and Djiboti 90 % of all girls are

circumcised.Genital Mutilation takes place even if its prohibited by law.

Utvikle et globalt partnerskap for utvikling.

EDUCATION

Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF)

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Thank you for your kind attention