Protection of human rights constitutes the core function of a democratic state.

Public security is a human rights issue, going to the core of a state’s responsibility to provide for the security and protection of all people living within its borders in a manner consistent with universal rights and democratic norms.

Respect for human rights and the rule of law must become part of any effort to govern and reform the security sector. Effecting such change is a long term process.

Human rights organizations play a vital role in working with governments and with other civil society organizations to instil respect for the human and legal rights of citizens.

Monitoring the observance of international human rights within the state, domestic human rights groups can also contribute to reform/oversight efforts.

Human Security and Human Rights

In the landmark report “In Larger Freedom”, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan highlighted the interdependence of the concepts:

“We will not enjoy development without security, we will not enjoy security without development, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights.”

What are human rights?

Human rights are:

• Universal legal guarantees
• Civil, political, economic, social, and cultural
• Internationally agreed norms which protect basic human values (freedom, equality, dignity)
• Inherent to individuals and, in certain cases, groups (e.g. minority rights)
• Laid down in international declarations and treaties
• They are legally binding on states

Legal framework for human rights:

Human Rights are fundamental universal rights that all human beings are entitled to. They are outlined in the 30 articles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948). Since its creation, this founding document has been expanded and complemented by other international and regional legal instruments, such as those composing the International Bill of Rights.

International Bill of Rights:

• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1966)
• International Covenant of Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR, 1966)
• Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD, 1965)
• Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW, 1979)
• Convention Against Torture (CAT, 1984)
• Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, 1989)

Other regional HR legislation:

• The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR, 1950)[1]
• The American Convention on Human Rights (IACHR, 1969)
• The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR, 1981)

Human Rights:

Every human being, everywhere in the world has the:

Right to Life

Right to Freedom

Right to Equality

Right to Security

Right not to be Enslaved

Right not to be Tortured

Right not to be treated in a cruel, inhuman, or degrading manner

Right to universal recognition of one’s rights

Right to equality before the law and equal protection of the law

Right to protection against any discrimination

Right to protection against any incitement to discrimination

Right to an effective judicial remedy in view of any violation of one’s rights

Right to not be arrested or detained arbitrarily

Right to a fair trial

Right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty

Right to only be charged with criminal offences which are specified as such in national or international law

Right to not be accused of a crime if, at the time when it was committed, there was no law against it

Right to not receive a harsher penalty than the one that was applicable at the time the offence was committed

Right to privacy

Right to family

Right to have a home

Right to free and private correspondence

Right to protection against attacks on one’s honour and reputation

Right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state

Right to freedom of movement between the borders of different states

Right to asylum

Right to a nationality

Right to change one’s nationality

Right to not be arbitrarily denied or deprived of nationality

Right to marry

Right to equal rights during the marriage and at its dissolution

Right to only marry freely and willingly

Right of the family to be protected by the state and the society

Right to one’s own property (alone or in association with others)

Right to not be arbitrarily deprived of one’s own property

Right to freedom of thought

Right to freedom of conscience

Right to freedom of religion

Right to change one’s beliefs

Right to manifest one’s beliefs in teaching, practice, worship and observance

Right to freedom of opinion

Right to freedom of speech and expression

Right to peaceful assembly and association

Right to participate in the government of one’s own country

Right to vote

Equal right of access to public service of one’s country

Right to social security

Right to economic, social, and cultural rights necessary for one’s personal development

Right to a free choice of employment

Right to protection against unemployment

Right to equal pay for equal work

Right to just and favourable remuneration

Right to form and join trade unions

Right to rest and leisure

Right to periodic holidays with pay

Right to adequate standard of living

Right to food

Right to clothing

Right to housing

Right to medical care

Right to social services

Right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or other circumstances beyond one’s control.

Right to special care and assistance for motherhood and childhood

Equal social protection for all children

Right to education

Right to free elementary education (elementary education should be compulsory)

Right to equal access to higher education

Right to freely participate in cultural life

Right to the protection of interests resulting from one’s own scientific, literary and artistic production

Right to an international and social order allowing for the fulfilment of Human Rights

Human Rights in Ukraine

https://www.hrw.org/europe/central-asia/ukraine

https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2015/country-chapters/ukraine

http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/countries/europe/ukraine

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/CivilSociety/Documents/Handbook_en.pdf

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2016/ukraine

Key Human Rights Developments in Ukraine:

Ukraine National Action Plan on Human Rights approved through the Decree of the President of Ukraine #501/2015

Sources:

Human Rights News, Views and Info: here.

Interactive educational tool on Human Rights.

Johanna Mendelson Forman, ‘Public Oversight of the Security Sector, (2008) in Public Oversight of the Security Sector: A Handbook for Civil Society Organisations

See UN Doc. A/59/2005: In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All. Report of the Secretary-General, New York 21 March

Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

[1] For graphics and summary of ECHR see: http://rightsinfo.org/the-rights-in-the-european-convention/

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