Generations of Human Rights

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.
➢In Nov. 1977, Karel Vasak, Unseco legal Advisor and distinguished
Human rights Scholar, wrote an article introducing the Idea of
three generations of human rights.

➢He follows the French Revolution watch words: Liberty, Equality

and Fraternity.
Three Generation are:

• Civil- Political rights (First Generation)

• Socio-economical rights (Second Generation)

• Collective/Solidarity rights –Developmental (Third Generation)

First Generation Human Rights

• Includes civil and political rights.

• These are individual rights against governmental
interference.(Negative rights)
• Gradually, becomes the part of democratic rights
and paves the way of evolution of second
generation.
• Many countries extend the scope the rights to life
to include the right to healthcare and clean
atmosphere which are second generation rights.
• Thsee rights are derived from 17th and 18th century reformist
theories connected with English, American and French
Revolution.

• These civil and political rights protect citizen from torture,

unusual punishment, denial habeas corpus, imprisonment
without due process of law etc.
 Second Generation of Human Rights

• First generation human rights were not sufficient enough to take

care of all classes of people in the society.

• New rights were added to the list which required the state to play
positive role in extending help to the needy sections.
• These rights includes right to education, work, Medicare, housing
etc which could be secured only through social welfare program
and social legislations.
• Rights are protected by welfare state.
• These rights are positive in nature and require state to perform
welfare functions.
• These are recognized worldwide and included in ICESCR.
• These rights can’t realized immediately, as state’s resource are
required.
Third Generation Rights

• These are solidarity or collective rights.

• Many cultural minorities wish to maintain their
cultures such as language, place of worship, dress
code as their sentiments.
• They do not want to get mixed with dominant
cultures and wish to maintain their identity and
autonomy.
• These rights include cultural rights to preserve their
cultural institutions and practices.
• States are obliged to maintain communal harmony, ensure due
respect of sacred book, holy cities and place of worship.
• These rights infuse a sense of security among cultural minorities,
strengthen allegiance and commitment to the nation.
• Moreover , unite them in diversity and encourges people to learn
different language, art, skills, etc.
• Sometimes, minority groups insist to maintain
outdated, irrational and unjust practices in the
name of maintaining their identity and oppose
any law intends to change those practices.

• State should take proper steps in this regard.

• These are rights of people in self determination.

• These rights give individual all over the world a fair share in
resource in earth and space, right to global healthy environment,
peace and humanitarian relief in case of natural disasters, and
access to scientific and technical information.
• thus, these rights seek to endow the individual with the benefits
of world citizenship.
Fourth Generation of Human Rights

• Fourth generation of human rights is emerging, which would include

rights that cannot be included in the third generation, future claims
of first and second generation rights and new rights, especially in
relation to technological development and information and
communication technologies and cyberspace.
• They normally take some rights from the third
generation and include them in the fourth, such
as the right to a healthy environment or aspects
related to bioethics.

• Some of those analysts believe that the fourth

generation is given by human rights in relation
to new technologies.

• while others prefer to talk about digital rights

• where a new range of rights would be found, such as:

• The right to equally access computing and digital

• The right to digital self-determination

• The right to digital security

• The right to access one's own digital data