INTRODUCTION

The division of human rights into three generations was initially proposed in
1979 by the Czech jurist Karel Vasak at the International Institute of Human
Rights in Strasbourg. He used the term at least as early as November
1977.[1] Vasak's theories have primarily taken root in European law.

First-generation human rights

First-generation human rights, sometimes called "blue" rights, deal essentially with
liberty and participation in political life. They are fundamentally civil and political in
nature: They serve negatively to protect the individual from excesses of the state.
First-generation rights include, among other things, the right to life, equality before
the law, freedom of speech, the right to a fair trial, freedom of religion, and voting
rights. They were pioneered by the United States Bill of Rights and in France by
the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in the 18th century, although
some of these rights and the right to due process date back to the Magna Carta of
1215 and the Rights of Englishmen, which were expressed in the English Bill of
Rights in 1689.
They were enshrined at the global level and given status in international law first by
Articles 3 to 21 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and later in the
1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In Europe, they were
enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights in 1953

*Civil and political rights

Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from
infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They
ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the society
and state without discriminationor repression.
Civil rights include the ensuring of peoples' physical and mental integrity, life,
and safety; protection from discrimination on grounds such as race, gender, sexual
orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, political
affiliation, ethnicity, religion, and disability;[1][2][3] and individual rights such
as privacy and the freedoms of thought, speech, religion, press, assembly,
and movement.
 Political rights include natural justice (procedural fairness) in law, such as the rights of
the accused, including the right to a fair trial; due process; the right to seek redress or
a legal remedy; and rights of participation in civil society and politics such as freedom of
association, the right to assemble, the right to petition, the right of self-defense, and
the right to vote.
Civil and political rights form the original and main part of international human
rights.[4] They comprise the first portion of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (with economic, social, and cultural rights comprising the second portion).
The theory of three generations of human rights considers this group of rights to be
"first-generation rights", and the theory of negative and positive rightsconsiders them
to be generally negative rights.

*Right to life
The right to life is a moral principle based on the belief that a human being has the
right to live and, in particular, should not be killed by another human being. The
concept of a right to life arises in debates on issues of capital
punishment, war, abortion, euthanasia, justifiable homicide, and public health care.
Various individuals who identify with pro-life views may disagree on which areas this
principle applies, such as issues previously listed.
In human history, there has not been a general acceptance of the concept of a right
to life that is innate to individuals[citation needed] rather than granted as a privilege by
those holding social and political power. The evolution of human rights as a concept
took place slowly in multiple areas in many different ways, with the right to life being
no exception to this trend, and the past millennium in particular has seen a large set
of national and international law or legal documents (examples being the Magna
Carta and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) codifying the general ideal
into specifically worded principles

Contents

 1Capital punishment
 2Killings by Law Enforcement
 3Euthanasia
 4Abortion
 5Ethics and right to life
 6Juridical statements
 7See also
 8References
 9External links
*Equality before the law

Equality before the law, also known as equality under the law, equality in the
eyes of the law, legal equality, or legal egalitarianism, is the principle that each
independent being must be treated equally by the law (principle of isonomy) and that
all are subject to the same laws of justice (due process).[1] Therefore, the law must
guarantee that no individual nor group of individuals should be privileged or
discriminated against by the government. Equality before the law is one of the basic
principles of liberalism.[2][3] This principle arises from various important and complex
questions concerning equality, fairness, and justice. The principle of equality before
the law is incompatible and ceases to exist with legal systems such
as slavery, servitude, colonialism, or monarchy.[

Article 7
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a historic document that
was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly at its third session on 10
December 1948 as Resolution 217 at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, France. Of the
then 58 members of the United Nations, 48 voted in favor, none against,
eight abstained, and two did not vote.
The Declaration consists of 30 articles affirming an individual's rights which,
although not legally binding in themselves, have been elaborated in subsequent
international treaties, economic transfers, regional human rights instruments,
national constitutions, and other laws. The Declaration was the first step in the
process of formulating the International Bill of Human Rights, which was completed
in 1966, and came into force in 1976, after a sufficient number of countries had
ratified them.

Structure and content[edit]

The underlying structure of the Universal Declaration was introduced in its second
draft, which was prepared by René Cassin. Cassin worked from a first draft, which
was prepared by John Peters Humphrey. The structure was influenced by the Code
Napoléon, including a preamble and introductory general principles.[4] Cassin
compared the Declaration to the portico of a Greek temple, with a foundation, steps,
four columns, and a pediment
The preamble sets out the historical and social causes that led to the necessity of
drafting the Declaration.

 Articles 1–2 established the basic concepts of dignity, liberty, equality, and
brotherhood.
 Articles 3–11 established other individual rights, such as the right to life and the
prohibition of slavery.
 Articles 6–11 refer to the fundamental legality of human rights with specific
remedies cited for their defence when violated.
 Articles 12–17 established the rights of the individual towards the community
(including such things as freedom of movement).
 Articles 18–21 sanctioned the so-called "constitutional liberties", and with
spiritual, public, and political freedoms, such as freedom of thought, opinion,
religion and conscience, word, and peaceful association of the individual.
 Articles 22–27 sanctioned an individual's economic, social and cultural rights,
including healthcare. Article 25 states: "Everyone has the right to a standard of
living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family,
including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social
services." It also makes additional accommodations for security in case of
physical debilitation or disability, and makes special mention of care given to
those in motherhood or childhood.[5]
 Articles 28–30 established the general ways of using these rights, the areas in
which these rights of the individual can not be applied, and that they can not be
overcome against the individual.
*Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a
community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of
retaliation, censorship, or sanction.[2][3][4][5] The term "freedom of expression" is
sometimes used synonymously but includes any act of seeking, receiving, and
imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.
Freedom of expression is recognized as a human right under article 19 of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and recognized in international
human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Article 19 of the UDHR states that "everyone shall have the right to hold opinions
without interference" and "everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression;
this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of
all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art,
or through any other media of his choice". The version of Article 19 in the ICCPR
later amends this by stating that the exercise of these rights carries "special duties
and responsibilities" and may "therefore be subject to certain restrictions" when
necessary "[f]or respect of the rights or reputation of others" or "[f]or the protection of
national security or of public order (order public), or of public health or morals
*Right to a fair trial
A trial which is observed by trial judge or by jury without being partial is a fair trial.
Various rights associated with a fair trial are explicitly proclaimed in Article 10 of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Sixth Amendment to the United
States Constitution, and Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights, as
well as numerous other constitutions and declarations throughout the world. There is
no binding international law that defines what is not a fair trial; for example, the right
to a jury trial and other important procedures vary from nation to nation.

*Freedom of religion

Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or

community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching,
practice, worship, and observance without government influence or intervention. It
also includes the freedom to change one's religion or belief.[1]
Freedom of religion is considered by many people and most of the nations to be
a fundamental human right.[2][3] In a country with a state religion, freedom of religion
is generally considered to mean that the government permits religious practices of
other sects besides the state religion, and does not persecute believers in other
faiths. Freedom of belief is different. It allows the right to believe what a person,
group or religion wishes, but it does not necessarily allow the right to practice the
religion or belief openly and outwardly in a public manner.

*Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public,
political elections (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote).[1][2][3] In
some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vote is called active
suffrage, as distinct from passive suffrage, which is the right to stand for
election.[4] The combination of active and passive suffrage is sometimes called full
suffrage.[5]
Suffrage is often conceived in terms of elections for representatives. However,
suffrage applies equally to referenda and initiatives. Suffrage describes not only the
legal right to vote, but also the practical question of whether a question will be put to
a vote. The utility of suffrage is reduced when important questions are decided
unilaterally without extensive, conscientious, full disclosure and public review.
In most democracies, eligible voters can vote in elections of representatives. Voting
on issues by referendum may also be available.
*Second-generation human rights]
Second-generation human rights are related to equality and began to be recognized
by governments after World War II. They are fundamentally economic, social, and
cultural in nature. They guarantee different members of the citizenry equal
conditions and treatment. Secondary rights would include a right to be
employed in just and favorable condition, rights to food, housing and health care, as
well as social security and unemployment benefits. Like first-generation rights, they
were also covered by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and further
embodied in Articles 22 to 28 of the Universal Declaration, and the International
Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.
In the United States of America, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed a Second
Bill of Rights, covering much the same grounds, during his State of the Union
Address on January 11, 1944. Today, many nations, states, or groups of nations
have developed legally binding declarations guaranteeing comprehensive sets of
human rights, e.g. the European Social Charter.
Some states have enacted some of these economic rights, e.g. the state of New
York has enshrined the right to a free education,[2][3] as well as "the right
to organize and to bargain collectively",[4] and workers' compensation,[5] in
its constitutional law.
These rights are sometimes referred to as "red" rights. They impose upon the
government the duty to respect and promote and fulfill them, but this depends on the
availability of resources. The duty is imposed on the state because it controls its own
resources. No one has the direct right to housing and right to education. (In South
Africa, for instance, the right is not, per se, to housing, but rather "to have access to
adequate housing",[6] realised on a progressive basis.[7])
The duty of government is in the realization of these positive rights.