Unit 8: International Conference on Human Rights

Teaching Sequence: b, a, c

a. World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna 1993

“The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action undoubtedly constitutes one of the
major events in the UN history of human rights. If adequately implemented, it will really
be a milestone in this history.”

The Second World Conference on Human Rights commonly known as Vienna

Conference was held in Vienna from 14 to 25 June, 1993. The Conference was held 25 years
after International Conference on Human Rights held in Tehran (or Tehran Conference) had
assessed the progress achieved the progress achieved under the UDHR, 1948, and laid the
foundation for the subsequent work in the field of human rights at international level.
The Conference was attended by nearly 2100 delegates from 171 states and representatives of
non-governmental organisations, inter-governmental organisations, and specialised agencies
of the UN human rights entities, thus successfully closing two week world conference and
presenting to the international community a common plan for strengthening of human rights
work around the world.

The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by World Conference on Human
Rights declared that ‘human rights and fundamental freedoms are birth right of all human
beings’. Then Secretary General of the UN, Boutros Boutros Ghali, in a message to the
Conference, told the delegates that by adopting the Vienna Declaration and Plan of
Action they had renewed the international community’s commitment to the promotion
and protection if human rights. He saluted the meeting for having forged a new vision for
global action for human rights into the next century.

The Vienna Declaration and Program of Action marks the culmination of a long process
of review and debate over the current status of human rights machinery in the world. It
also marks the beginning of a renewed effort to strengthen and further implement the body of
human rights instruments that have been painstakingly constructed on the foundation of the
UDHR, 1948.

The main points of the Declaration were:

1. Obligations of the states: The declaration re-affirmed the commitment of all states to fulfil
their obligations to promote universal respect for, and observance and protection of all
human rights and fundamental freedom for all in accordance with the UN Charter, other
instruments relating to human rights and international law. Human rights and fundamental
freedoms are birth right of all human beings; their protection and promotion is the first
responsibility of governments.
2. Co-ordination of activities: The promotion and protection of human rights must be
considered as a priority objective of the UN in accordance with its purposes and principles,
in particular the purpose of international co-operation. In the framework of these purposes
and principles, the promotion and protection of all human rights is a legitimate concern of
the international community. The organs and specialized agencies related to human rights
should therefore further enhance the co-ordination of their activities based on the consistent
and objective application of international human rights instruments.
3. Universality of human rights: All human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent
and interrelated. The International community must treat human rights globally in a fair
and equal manner, on the same footing, and with the same emphasis.
4. Democracy, development and respect for human rights: Democracy, development and
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are interdependent and mutually
reinforcing. Democracy is based on freely expressed will of the people to determine their
own political, economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation in all
aspects of their live. The international community should support the strengthening and
promoting of democracy, development and respect of human rights in the entire world.
5. Right to development: The declaration affirmed the right to development as a universal and
inalienable right and an integral part of fundamental human rights. The right to
development should be fulfilled so as to meet equitably the development and environmental
needs to present and future generations.
6. Extreme poverty: The existence of widespread extreme poverty inhibits the full and
effective enjoyment of human rights, its immediate alleviation and eventual elimination
must remain a high priority for the international community. It is essential for states to
foster participation by the poorest people by the community in which live, on the promotion
of human rights and efforts to combat extreme poverty.
7. Effective remedies to redress human rights: Every state should provide effective framework
and remedies to redress human rights grievances or violations. The administration of justice
including law enforcement and prosecutional agencies and especially an independent
 judiciary and legal profession in full conformity with applicable standards contained in
international human rights instruments are essential to the full and non-discriminatory
realisation of human rights and dispensable to the process of democracy and sustainable
development.
8. External debt burden: The conference called upon the international community to make all
effort to help alleviate the external debt burden of developing countries, in order to
supplement the efforts of the Governments of such countries to attain the full realization of
the economic, social and cultural rights of their people.
9. Education: States are duty-bound to ensure education is aimed at strengthening the respect
for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The conference emphasized the importance
of incorporating the subject of human rights, humanitarian law, democracy and rule of law
as subjects in the curricula of all learning institutions in formal and non-formal settings.
This education shall include peace, democracy, development, social justice etc. in order to
achieve common understanding and awareness with a view to strengthening universal
commitment to human rights. The World Conference recommended that states should
develop specific programmes and strategies for ensuring the widest human rights education
and discrimination of public information, taking particular account of the human rights
needs of women.
10. Implementation and monitoring standards: The World Conference urged Governments to
incorporate standards as contained in international human rights instruments in domestic
legislation and to strengthen national structures, institutions and organs of society which
play a role in promoting and safeguarding human rights.
11. Increased co-ordination on human rights: The Conference recommended increased co-
ordination in support if human rights and fundamental freedoms within the UN system. To
this end it urged all UN organs, bodies and specialised agencies whose activities deal with
human rights to co-operate in order to strengthen, rationalize and streamline their activities,
taking into account the need to avoid unnecessary duplication.

Vienna Declaration provides the international community with a new framework of

planning dialogue and cooperation that will enable a holistic approach to promoting
human rights and involve actors at all levels – international, national and local.

The document agreed to in Vienna, which was endorsed by the 48th Session of the UNGA
(resolution 48/121 of 1993), reaffirms the principles that have evolved during the past and
further strengthen the foundation for additional progress in the area of human rights. The
recognition of interdependence between democracy, development and human rights, for
example, prepares the way for future cooperation by international organisations and national
agencies in promotion of all human rights, including the right to development.

Similarly, the Conference took historic new steps to promote and protect the rights of
women, children and indigenous peoples by, respectively supporting the creation of a new
mechanism, a special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, calling for universal
ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the year 1995, and
recommending the proclamation by the UNGA of an International Decade of the World’s
Indigenous Peoples. Subsequently, the UNGA carried out that recommendation.

The Vienna Declaration also makes concrete recommendations for strengthening and
harmonising the monitoring capacity of the United Nations system. In this regard, it called for
the establishment of a High Commissioner for Human Rights by the UNGA, which
subsequently created the post on 20th December, 1993 (Resolution 48/141).

The Vienna Declaration further emphasized the need for speedy ratification of other
human rights instruments. The member states of the UN have solemnly pledged to respect
human rights and fundamental freedoms and to undertake individually and collectively actions
and programmes to make enjoyment of human rights a reality for every human being.

Since the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights in June 1993, a consensus was forged
by the global community, reaffirming the basic principles set out in UDHR, acknowledging
that the protection and protection and promotion of all human rights is a legitimate concern of
the international community and emphasizing that all human rights are universal, indivisible
and interdependent and interrelated and there has been a concerted effort to begin a process of
integrating human rights into the work of all UN bodies and throughout the UN system.

b. International Conferences on Human Rights (Tehran Conference)

The first World-wide governmental conference knows as International Conference on

Human Rights, popularly known as Tehran Conference was held at Tehran, Iran, from
April 22 to May 13, 1968 to review the progress made in twenty years since adoption of the
UDHR and to evaluate the effectiveness of methods used by the UN in the human rights field.
The Conference was attended by representatives of 84 States and of UN organs, specialized
agencies and various inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations. The Conference
after having recognised that peace is a universal aspiration of mankind and that peace and
justice are indispensable to the full realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms
proclaimed by consensus on the major human rights problems which is generally referred to as
Proclamation of Tehran. The following are included in the Proclamation:

1. Members of the International community shall fulfil their obligations to promote and
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinctions of any
kind such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions.
2. The UDHR stated a common understanding of the peoples of the world concerning the
inalienable and inviolable rights of all members of the international community.
3. The primary aim of the UN in the sphere of human rights is the achievement of each
individual of the maximum freedom and dignity. For the realization of this objective,
the laws of every country should grant each individual freedom of expression, of
information, of conscience and of religion as well as the right to participate in the
political, economic, cultural and social life of his country.
4. States should reaffirm their determination effectively to enforce the principles
enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and in other international instruments
that concern human rights and fundamental freedoms.
5. Human Rights and fundamental freedoms are indivisible, and therefore, the full
realization of civil and political rights without the enjoyment of economic, social and
cultural rights is impossible, the achievement of lasting progress in the implementation
of human rights is dependent upon sound and effective national and international
policies of economic and social development.

The Conference affirmed its faith in the principles of the UDHR and other
instruments in the field and urged all peoples and governments and dedicate
themselves to the principles enshrined in the UDHR and to redouble their efforts to
provide for all human beings a life consonant with freedom and dignity and
conductive to physical, mental, social and spiritual welfare.

c. Follow up to the World Conference on Human Rights

The World Conference on Human Rights recommended that the UNGA, the Commission on
Human Rights and other organs and agencies of UN system related to the human rights consider
ways and means for the full implementation without delay of the recommendations
contained in the Vienna Declaration including the possibility of proclaiming a UN Decade
of Human Rights further recommended the Commission on Human Rights annually
review the progress towards the end.

In response to the Vienna Declaration, the UNGA proclaimed UN Decade for Human
Rights Education for a 10 year period beginning from 1995 to 2004. A plan of action has
been put in place focusing a stimulating and supporting local and national activities. The plan
encourages the establishment of national committees for human rights education comprised of
human rights representatives of both the public and private sectors.

In keeping with the spirit and accepted principle of the universality of human rights, it is
necessary for states collectively and individually to assert greater commitment to this
cause. The challenges and dynamic nature of human rights promotion and protection, further
accelerated by the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and the
establishment of the office of the High Commission for Human Rights necessitate and
commensurate political will.

A formidable challenge still lies ahead which must be addressed in partnership with all those
concerned with human rights. There is a need for more substantial commitment to human
rights and not red tape. The success of implementation of the UN Programme
significantly depends on resources made available to the office of the High Commissioner
of Human Rights and a stronger coordination between the operational agencies and
programmes of the UN in order to bring human rights and their enjoyment closer to the
millions of women, children and men that are still victims of human rights violations.

The Commission of Human Rights today more than ever must not only be concerned with the
identification of human rights problems but also with the realization of the international
standards it has set and the contribution the UN system must make towards their enjoyment.

The UN efforts to promote and protect human rights demand the political will and coordinated
efforts of governments, international organizations, human rights bodies, national human rights
institutions and NGOs. If that is forthcoming, then the words of Susan Anthony, “Men, their
rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less” will at last be fulfilled.

Sources

Wallace R, International Human Rights, Text and Materials, London Sweet and Maxwell

Agarwal, H.O., International Law and Human Rights, 18th Edition

Myneni S.R., Human Rights, 1st Edition

Kapoor S.K., International Law and Human Rights (Nutshell), 16th Edition

Chitnis V, Development of the Concept of Human Rights under International Law

Dive U.S., International Law and Human Rights