Human Rights Under Threat

Bini Dahal

If we correctly remember, the First and Second World Wars brought unprecedented destruction to the world. These incidents were the reason why international organisations like the United Nations (UN) and other regional organisations have come into existence. While peace, order, and security are such terms that are written as nearly the objectives of every organisation, it is a stark reality that we have reached a point where their manifestation has continued creating issues. 

Human rights have become a much-hyped contemporary issue in the 21st century. But each day, people in some parts of the globe are stripped of their right to live a dignified life. It is actually very painful and disastrous to see how warring nations are losing a large number of civilians or facing injuries and displacements. The international law clearly mentions that civilians should be protected at all costs. However, it is children, women and elderly who have continued to become a target of this situation.

Amidst the Israel-Palestine war, South Africa recently filed a case in the International Court of Justice against Israel. It allegedly states that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians and that the country is violating the Genocide Convention of ICJ. This allegation has been refuted by Israel and called baseless. And now reports have it that Mexico is also joining South Africa in the same manner. This scenario also demonstrates that human rights violation is a really sensitive problem today. The Russia-Ukraine war, conflict in Myanmar and continued civil wars in the African region and the Middle East just give a broader view of the declining human rights situation. 

Sadly the international forum has been limited to its role and can only condemn, release certain harsh statements and try to provide necessary aid and assistance. Amnesty International, in its annual report, states that human rights abuses were widespread in 2023. In the case of wars, civilians are not cared about by states and armed groups. The rivalries among rival nations have prevented wars from getting resolved. Plus the international system has been incapable when it comes to taking effective measures on the same. 

It is not like the world does not have certain laws related to international human rights. The UN Declaration on Human Rights is considered to be a groundbreaking declaration revolving around human rights. And over the years, further treaties and agreements have strengthened and prioritised this matter. However, in practice, it appears as if these treaties were given less or no attention. Certain countries are not party to these international treaties. This condition gives them a leeway to continue their actions, which has a direct effect on civilians. Developing countries like Nepal try their best to show sensitivity towards these matters. However, the same cannot be said for big powerful nations. 

The human rights violation has become a growing headache for human rights activists and international organisations working on this front. As long as the matter is not dealt with by diplomatic channels and continued pressure from the concerned stakeholders, human rights will go on getting violated. If we are looking for a world full of peace, order and security, military activities and continued inhuman actions have to be stopped by any means. And most importantly, international organisations must reorient themselves to put an end to the growing violence around the world. When the global body comes forward as a strong guardian, only then can we head in the right direction.