CAN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHT LAWS BE IMPROVED?

In recent years International Human rights laws have faced criticism due to the incessant rise of
politicisation and authoritarianism. The laws haven’t gained the trust and approval that the people
who created them had hoped for. So, I begin with the question about the working of international
human rights laws. There are numerous legal enactments for the protection of the rights, but have
they met the standards for which they were framed? or whether they turned out to be the world of
emancipation? To a larger extent, the answer can be given by thinking beyond the existence of the
laws and the issues surrounding the system. The greatest threat is the entrance of the politicisation.
The issue is not the immediate one but existed at the time when the Human Rights Commission was
established in 1946. To remove the obstacle the commission was replaced by the Human Rights
Council in 2006. Building the new ones and erasing the older the politicisation will still be part of the
organisations. There are many other instances in the world to show how political considerations can
influence the law. For instance, the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate
in Istanbul in 2018 raised serious human rights concerns. Despite global condemnation, political
considerations, including the U.S.’s ties with Saudi Arabia, adjusted the response. The U.S. imposed
sanctions on individuals involved but stopped the actions that might strain diplomatic ties. It makes it
very clear how global politics and economic interests can shift the focus of human rights concerns.
Now, the question arises can ‘’politicisation’’ be removed? I believe there is no solution for this.

‘’Wars do not start because people are poor; neither do they start because people are illiterate. They
started because of structural discrimination—a deliberate attempt to marginalise- Ra'ad Al Hussein’’.
In recent times the world has been facing serious threats of genocide, war crimes and crimes against
humanity. Despite the laws atrocities are unstoppable. The Isreal- Palestine issue, Rohingya case-
what we lack in these cases is the lack of international response which is the hindrance in the
implementation of the laws.

Lastly, there is the issue of universality of the human rights. Every law takes the notion of equality. Is
everyone equal? When the people are not equal in practicality how the laws can be applied equally
to all? The concept of cultural relativism enters into the place that when people belong to different
cultures and traditions their rights should be based on their backgrounds. This is the reason why
Arab and African countries are reluctant to accept Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity rights
because they are backed by their cultural preferences. Cultural relativism and human rights are
sensitive areas of conflict and will remain controversial.

Concluding optimistically, there exists a multitude of legislations addressing, if not all, certainly the
major contemporary issues. The current situation requires an emphasis on effective mechanisms and
adopting a modern approach to address the complexities inherent in international human rights
challenges.