Executive summary
Human rights refer to the basic rights and freedoms that every person across the globe is entitled to. The recognition and implementation of these rights by the states is the foundation of freedom and ultimately result in justice and peace all around the world.
The violation of these rights has led to barbarous acts which have led to disastrous consequences and impacted negatively on the relationship between countries.
The rights this report will focus on are women’s rights that have not been well implemented and those that have been neglected. It will focus on human rights and state sovereignty. It will also focus on the question of who is liable as well as western influence in the policy making and implementation of human rights.
The states should agree and unite as one to implement with no compromise or prejudice stricter policies all across the globe. No rights should be neglected and a form of liability should be evident once ones rights are violated.
All groups should be considered in the implementation of human rights and the task of policy making and implementation of human rights should be left to a neutral structure that runs without external interference.
Context and importance of the problem
These problems impact negatively on global activities and international relations.
Rights that are based on gender
The universal notion of human rights does not fully focus on the problems that women face. Though some articles in the various human rights declarations and conventions try to push for a woman’s place in the family and workplace positively, some factors are still suppressing these policies.
The rights of women are hard to implement while some are being ignored (Wight, 2006, p. 38). Poor salaries and working conditions are some of the problems women are discriminated against in the work place. In some countries they are isolated and labeled as “home workers”.
There are a lot of cases of mistreatment and harm to women. These include sexual abuse and rape as a tool in times of war. There are incidences of forced motherhood in Ireland. Domestic violence as part of the honor code is done in Brazil and Italy. Such cases are not protected against by the human rights conventions.
Women and children bodies have also lobbied against activities like the sex workers market for tourists found in countries like Philippines and Barbados and the use of sex workers to serve the American armies at their bases as well as the use of prostitutes from Eastern Europe in Western Europe using force by the mafia gangs.
Some equality rights although made for good, are left out, hence, making their implementation hard e.g. equal employment rights (Wendt, 1999, p. 36). Though this right is really important, some factors like transformation in maternal arrangements should be put in place so as to facilitate it.
Claim liability at times is not clear
In some cases, it is not clear against who a specific claim is made and to what extent the claim can be made. Individual rights are meant to be made against the state, but in some cases it is hard to make claims as the state may not recognize the claim or even the party that has violated a human right.
Such cases make it very hard for an individual to lay claim. An example is the case of the claims that were being made against the Nigerian Oil company Shell which is a body.
The influence of the west
The west exercises a lot of power when it comes to the making and implementation of human rights. The rights are shaped as per the western perspective. This makes their application in other areas of the world hard.
A further contradiction is the fact that some rights are neglected in the west. Some Muslim groups feel that the west objectifies women and that the thriving porn industry is an indicator of the neglect of the rights.
The west also has a tendency of politicizing aid terms to the developing countries, hence, increasing their control and influence, instead of just aiding the countries.
Individual rights and state sovereignty
Rights are neglected in cases where a state does not recognize them (Waltz, 2001, p. 82). This leaves some states to carry out some barbaric acts without fear of consequence or consideration of morals. These cases are evident in the Rwandan genocide and Kosovo crisis where the rights were neglected.
Critique of policy options
The policy that advocates for gender equality does not lay consideration to the fact that this policy cannot stand on its own. Equality in the work place should also amend other policies like maternal leave so as to accommodate the needs of women, hence, giving them a better chance of competing.
These rights are there but they are not implemented, hence, some people take advantage of this and strip the rights and freedoms of women.
Though the UN charter states that claims should be made on the state, some states do not even recognize these rights. For this reason, it becomes hard for the individuals to claim. Some rights are violated by bodies of which there is no clear guideline on how to make claims against such organizations.
The west offers aid to developing countries as per the policies of the UN but at the same time they tie the countries down with terms and conditions which eventually increases their control and dominance over them.
Some sovereign states do not implement the conditions of the UN; hence, they neglect the consequences of human rights violation (Drezner, 2011, p. 88). This has resulted in mass killings and other barbaric acts as the individuals are not prosecuted by the state and in some cases they are even protected by the state.
Policy recommendations
The policies put in place to aid women should also be backed up with policies that will boost them. The policies should focus on every detail that may disrupt implementation, e.g., in terms of equality in the workplace.
Policies should also be put in place to support it in this case a maternity period should be granted and should entail things like paid leave and job security in order to avoid unnecessary penalties.
Policies should also be put in place to cover all the problems women face thus leaving no loop holes. States should also implement stricter policies so as to discourage people from violating them. This could be in the form of increased sentences and penalties.
States should be encouraged to recognize vital rights so that the citizens can be able to lay claim in case ones right is violated. This will be achieved through the states recognition and implementation of the right. Policies should be put in place as per the states laws to be able to prosecute bodies in case they violate an individual’s rights.
A structure free from political interference and national self-interest should be put in place to make policies relating to human rights. It should consider the fact that different countries have different ideologies based on their beliefs and practices. The policies should consider the difference in religions, tribes and cultures.
Aid given to the developing countries should not have any terms attached to the agreement, hence leaving the countries free from western control. The countries in the west should also be pushed to implement the policies that they have advocated for.
States should be encouraged to give high priority to human rights. A strict agreement should be put in place to deal with cases like those of national rights violation, and it should have stricter policies that outline the consequences of state violations or protection of human rights violators. These policies could be stricter sanctions and cut off in relations with other countries (Weber, 2009, p. 51).
Conclusion
A neutral structure based solely on morals should be put in place to ensure an unbiased implementation of human rights. States should prioritize human rights. Rights consideration should be made in reference to the differences across borders.
The rights of women should be prioritized and states should put strict measures to ensure their implementation, hence ensuring that women are protected. The implementation of these policies will greatly boost the global perception of human rights, leading to freedom, justice and peace.
References
Drezner, D W 2011, Theories of international politics and zombies, Princeton University Press, New Jersey.
Waltz, K N 2001, Man, the state, and war: a theoretical analysis, Columbia University Press, New York.
Weber, C 2009, International relations theory: a critical introduction, Taylor & Francis, New York.
Wendt, A 1999, Social theory of international politics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Wight, C 2006, Agents, structures and international relations: politics as ontology, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.