Human Rights Attack Outline

Approach to Issue Spotters (for Each Issue!)

1. Identify the Perpetrator/Victim
2. Identify the Human Rights/International Criminal Law/International
Humanitarian Law Violation
3. Identify the Source of the Violation (Treaty, CIL (General Practice and Opinio
Juris), Soft Law, Domestic, etc.)
a. For treaties, identify any Reservations, Understandings, or Declarations
(RUDs)
b. Can the Rights be Derogated? (Clawbacks in case of Emergency)
4. Identify the Mechanism where the Violation can be Addressed
a. List 3 most promising
i. Domestic
ii. Treaty-Based
iii. UN Charter Bodies/Mechanisms

Common Human Rights Violations

- Negative Rights
o Right to Life
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 3
 ICCPR Art. 6
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 2
 ACHR Art. 4
o Right to a Nationality
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 15
 Regional
 ACHR Art. 20
o Self-Determination
 International Treaties
 ICCPR Art. 1
 ICESCR Art. 1
 Regional
 ACPHR Art. 20
o Torture/Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 5
 ICCPR Art. 7
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 3
 ACHR Art. 5
 ACPHR Art. 5
o Right to Liberty/No Arbitrary Detention
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 9
 ICCPR Art. 9
 ICCPR Art. 11 (can’t be imprisoned over debt)
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 5
 ACHR Art. 7
 ACPHR Art. 6
o Due Process Rights/Fair Trial
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 10, Art. 11
 ICCPR Art. 14
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 6
 ACHR Art. 8
 ACPHR Art. 7
o Discrimination
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 2, Art. 7
 ICCPR Art. 2
 ICCPR Art. 3 (Equal Rights to Men and Women)
 ICCPR Art. 26 (All people equal before the law)
 ICCPR Art. 27 (protection for minorities)
 ICESCR Art. 2
 ICESCR Art. 3 (men and women)
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 14
 ACHR Art. 1
 ACHR Art. 24 (Nondiscrimination/equal protection)
 ACHPR Art. 2 (no discrimination)
 ACPHR Art. 3 (nondiscrimination/equal protection before the law)
 ACPHR Art. 19 (equalities of all peoples)
o Extrajudicial Killings
 International
 Regional
 ACPHR: Art 6 (right to liberty and security of person)
 ECHR: Art 5 (right to liberty and security)
o Freedom of Religion/Thought/Conscience
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 18
 ICCPR Art. 18
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 9
  ACHR Art. 12
 ACPHR Art. 8
o Freedom of Expression/Political Opinion
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 19
 ICCPR Art. 19
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 10
 ACHR Art. 13
 ACPHR Art. 9
o Freedom of Peaceful Assembly/Association
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 20
 ICCPR Art. 22
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 11
 ACHR Art. 15 (Assembly)
 ACHR Art. 16 (Association)
 ACPHR Art. 10 (Association)
 ACPHR Art. 11 (Assembly)
o Freedom of Movement
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 13
 ICCPR Art. 12
 ICCPR Art. 13 (rights of aliens in movement/being expelled)
 Regional
 ACHR Art. 22
 ACPHR Art. 12
o Privacy
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 12
 ICCPR Art. 17
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 8
 ACHR Art. 11
o Slavery/Forced Labor
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 4
 ICCPR Art. 8
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 4
 ACHR Art. 6
 ACPHR Art. 5
o Right of Asylum
  International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 14
 Regional
o Participation in Government
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 21
 ICCPR Art. 25
 Regional
 ACHR Art. 23
 ACPHR Art. 13
o Effective Remedy
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 8
 ICCPR Art. 2(3)
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 13
o Being a Person before the Law
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 6
 ICCPR Art. 16
 Regional
 ACHR Art. 3
o Ex-post Facto
 International Treaties
 ICCPR Art. 15
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 7
 ACHR Art. 9
 ACPHR Art. 7
o No war propaganda or incitement of hatred
 International Treaties
 ICCPR Art. 20
o Children will be protected
 International Treaties
 ICCPR Art. 24
 Regional
 ACHR Art. 19
 Specialized
o States much Take Steps to achieve the rights
 International
 ICESCR Art. 2
 ICCPR Art. 2
 Regional
 ACHR Art. 2
ACHR Art. 26 (Progressive Realization)
 ACHPR Art. 1

- Affirmative Rights
o Can’t Destroy Affirmative Rights/Freedoms
 International Treaties
 ICESCR Art. 5
 Regional
 Specialized
o Right to Marry/Have a Family
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 16
 ICCPR Art. 23
 ICESCR Art. 10
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 12
 ACHR Art. 16
 ACPHR Art. 18
 Specialized
o Owning Property
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 17
 Regional
 ACHR Art. 21
 ACPHR Art. 14
 Specialized
o Social Security
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 22
 ICESCR Art. 9
 Regional
 Specialized
o Right to Work/Equal Pay/Safe Conditions
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 23
 ICESCR Art. 7
 Regional
 ACPHR Art. 15
 Specialized
o Rest and Leisure
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 24
 Regional
 Specialized
o Education
  International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 26
 ICESCR Art. 13
 ICESCR Art. 14 (free primary education)
 Regional
 ACPHR Art. 17
 Specialized
o Culture
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 27
 ICESCR Art. 15
 Regional
 ACPHR Art. 17
 Specialized
o Health/Adequate Standard of Living
 International Treaties
 UDHR Art. 25
 ICESCR Art. 11 (Standard of Living/Free from Hunger)
 ICESCR Art. 12 (Health)
 Regional
 ACPHR Art. 16
 Specialized
o Trade Unions
 International Treaties
 ICESCR Art. 8
 Regional
 ECHR Art. 11
 Specialized
o Right to Development
 ACPHR Art. 22 (economic, social, and cultural)
 ACPHR Art. 24 (general satisfactory environment favorable to
development)
o Eliminate Foreign Exploitation of National Resources
 ACPHR Art. 21
o Guarantee independence of the courts
 ACPHR Art. 26
o Duties (in ACPHR)
 Duties to the States (Art. 29)
 Duties to the individual not to discriminate (Art. 28)
 Duties to family, and exercising rights in common interest (Art. 27)

- Specialized Conventions/Charters
o UN Charter
 Art. 1
  Friendly relations among nations based on principle of equal rights
and self-determination
 International cooperation in solving international issues…
promoting and encouraging respect for human rights

Art. 2
 States cannot intervene in matters that are within the domestic
jurisdiction of any other State (But see Chapter VII)
 Art. 55
 Universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and
fundamental freedoms
 Art. 56
 States will take joint and separation action to achieve purposes in
Art. 55
o CEDAW (Women)
 Discrimination (And Equality Defined) - Art. 1
o Discrimination is Any Distinction
 (1) That diminished Women's Equality
 (2) In Public or Private Sphere
o Civil and Political Obligations - Art. 2
 To Promote Equality
 Constitutional Reform
 Legislative Reform
 Judicial Enforcement
 Refrain from Discrimination
 Eliminate Private Discrimination
 Repeal discriminatory penal laws
o Social and Economic Obligations - Art. 3
 Guarantee equality in political, social, economic, and cultural
fields
o Affirmative Action - Art. 4
 Temporarily OK
 Short-term solution, but ultimately not the long-term
goal
o "Culture Smasher" - Art. 5
 Culture can't be used as an excuse!
o Focus - Marriage - Art. 16
 Most heavily reserved article
o No discrimination within marriage
o Consent
o Same rights during and on dissolution
o Same rights and duties as parents
o Same rights to decide spacing
o Same custody rights
o Same personal rights (e.g. name, profession)
 o Same property rights
o CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child)
 Art. 2 – No Discrimination
 Art. 3 – Best interest of the Child
 Art. 5 – Right to Family Guidance
 Art. 6 - Right to Life
 Art. 7 – Right to Name/Nationality
 Art. 8 – Right to an Identity
 Art. 9 – Children should not be separated from their parents
 Art. 11 – Protection against Kidnapping
 Art. 13 – Freedom of Expression
 Art. 14 – Freedom of Thought and Religion
 Art. 15 – Freedom of Association
 Art. 16 – Privacy
 Art. 19 – Protection from Violence
 Art. 24 – Right to Health, Water, Food, Environment (safe environment)
 Art. 27 – Food, clothing, safe place to live
 Art. 28 – Education
 Art. 31 – Rest, play, culture arts
 Art. 32 – Protection from Harmful Work
 Art. 35 – Prevention of sale and trafficking
 Art. 36 – Protection from Exploitation
 Art. 38 – Protection in War
o Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD)
o CERD (Elimination of Racial Discrimination)
o CAT (Convention Against Torture)
 See Nathan’s Outline
o Refugee Convention

- Regional Conventions
o Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
(ECHR)
o The American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR)
o African (Banjul) Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR)

- Clawbacks
o ICCPR Art 4
 No Derogation of Art. 6, 7, 8 (paragraphs I and 2), 11, 15, 16 and 18
o ICESCR Art. 4
o ECHR Art. 15
 No Derogation of Art. 2 (except w/ legal acts of war), 3, 4, 7
o ACHR Art. 27
 No derogation of 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 23

Jus Cogens Violations (ILC, Antonio Cassese, Henkin)

- The prohibition on the use of force
 - The right to self-defense,
- The prohibition on genocide.
- The prohibition on torture. (Furundzija, ICTY, defined torture as preemptory and
obligation erga omnes.) UDHR 1948, The Geneva Conventions for the protection of war
victims 1949, the ICCPR 1966, and General Assembly resolutions. 
- Crimes against humanity
- The prohibition on slavery and slave trade,
- The prohibition of piracy
- The prohibition on racial discrimination and apartheid
- The prohibition of hostilities directed at civilian population (“basic rules of international
humanitarian law”)

Common International Criminal Law Violations (Individual Criminal Liability - Rome

Statute)
- War Crimes
- Crimes Against Humanity
- Genocide
- Aggression

Common International Humanitarian Law Violations

- Geneva common article 3 (post conflict - rules of detention)
o General rights guaranteed by common art 3 (can apply to conflicts that are not
international - state v state and state v other actors)
 cannot be tortured or executed
 must be treated with some human dignity
 if put on trial, must be tried before regulated court with due process
standards
o POW Status = higher level of protection for someone who is a soldier for a state
actor (state v state conflict)
 who is a POW? Geneva III art 4
 Follow the rules of war?
 Fixed marker/insignia/uniform?
 Carry arms openly?
 Fixed chain of command?
 Protections afforded POW
 Art 17 (name and rank - no need to torture for info, just ask)
 Art 27 (underwear)
 Art 28 (tobacco)
 Art 38 (sports/recreation)
o 4 Geneva Conventions regulate jus in bello, and are generally agreed to have
matured into CIL
 Constraints for Killing
 Necessity
o Shooting at armed conflict is always permissible
 Humanity
 o You cannot use methods of killing that cause gratuitous or
unnecessary pain
 Proportionality
o Means used to achieve an objective is proportional to the
scale of that objective
 Discrimination
o Discrimination betwen combatants and non-combatants
o It is also a violation to use human shields (Setting up a base
in a school or hospital)
 Standard is “Reasonable Measures”
 It is permissible to kill civilians/noncombatants as long as you are
taking reasonable measures to prevent harm to civilians
o Jus ad Bellum (Rules Against War)
 UN Charter, Art. 2.4 says that member states shall not use threats of armed
intervention in conducting foreign affairs
 Updates Kellogg-Briand Pact, which outlawed war in 1928
 Article 51
 Exception for self defense
 Literal reading is that retaliation is only permissible in case of
physical invasion
 Customary reading is that any sufficient military threat allows for
preemptive strike
- Hague Law 
o Applies to state and non-state actors
o Factors
 Necessity
 Discrimination
 Proportional
 Humanity

Mechanisms for Remedies

- Domestic Remedies (some nations have incorporated UDHR into their Constitutions for
example)
o Just mention it
o If US, bring in Foreign Relations Law/ATS
- Regional Remedies
o European Court of Human Rights
 ECHR Art. 33 – Provision for Interstate Complaints
 ECHR Art. 34 – Individual Complaints
o African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights
 Communications (individual and state) (Art. 47 – 59)
 State Reports (Art. 62)
o Inter-American Court of Human Rights
 Commission processes individual applications. Undertakes a range of
monitoring and promotional activities.
 o Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
- Treaty Mechanisms
o ICCPR Human Rights Committee
 State Reports
 Individual Communications (if States have adopted additional protocols)
o Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
 Country Reports every 5 years
o CEDAW Committee
o CAT Committee (Committee against Torture)
o Committee on the Rights of the Child
- UN Charter Bodies/Mechanisms
o Human Rights Council (States are subject to scrutiny under HRC based on articles
55 and 56 of the UN charter)
 Standard Setting
 Country Reporting
 Examining Complaints and Make Recommendations
 Universal Periodic Review
o Security Council
o UN General Assembly
o Special Rapporteurs
 State Specific
 Thematic
o Universal Jurisdiction
o NGOs
 Name and Shame
 Human Rights Watch
 Amnesty