Universal Human Rights and International Law
What human rights are and how they are protected: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention and the Human Rights Act, and how international law works between countries.
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Rights for everyone
Human rights are basic rights that belong to every person simply because they are human. They are the same for everyone, everywhere, and cannot be taken away. After the Second World War, countries agreed to write these rights down and to protect them through both national and international law. This module looks at what human rights are and how they are upheld.
Human rights terms
Learn these four terms before you study how rights are protected.
National or international law?
Laws work at two different levels.
Why rights are universal
Explain why rights are called universal: they belong to everyone equally, not only to citizens of one country or to people who earn them. Then explain a limit: international law is hard to enforce because each country is sovereign and can refuse to follow it, so the United Nations often relies on pressure and agreement rather than force.
Match the term
- human right
- treaty
- international law
- universal
- a basic right that belongs to every person and cannot be taken away
- a formal agreement signed between countries
- rules agreed between countries, not just within one
- applying to everyone, everywhere
Match the document or body
- the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- the Human Rights Act 1998
- the United Nations
- the International Criminal Court
- a shared statement of rights agreed in 1948
- brought European human rights into UK law
- works to protect human rights around the world
- tries individuals for the most serious crimes
What is a human right?
What is a human right?
- A basic right that belongs to every person and cannot be taken away.
- A reward you earn only by good behaviour.
- A right that only people in the UK have.
- A right that a government can grant or remove by passing a law.
Who upholds the law?
Select the TWO bodies that help uphold international law.
- The United Nations.
- The International Criminal Court.
- A local town council.
- A private company.
Order the timeline
Put these events in order, earliest first.
- The Second World War ends
- The United Nations agrees the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948
- European countries agree the European Convention on Human Rights
- The UK passes the Human Rights Act in 1998
Summarise the ideas
A human _____ belongs to every person and cannot be taken away, so we say such rights are _____. After the Second World War the United Nations agreed the Universal _____ of Human Rights in 1948. In the UK the Human Rights _____ of 1998 lets people defend these rights in court. Rules agreed between countries are called international _____.
Name the year
In which year did the United Nations agree the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
Find the features
Tap the TWO features of a human right.
- It belongs to every person
- It must be earned by good behaviour
- It cannot be taken away
- It only applies in the UK
- It is given only to adults
Which kind of rule?
Decide what each one is.
- A rule made by the UK Parliament that applies only in the UK
- Rules agreed between many countries and upheld by international courts
- A formal written agreement signed between two or more countries
Explain human rights
Explain why human rights are described as universal, and explain one reason why international law can be hard to enforce.
- Explain what makes a right a human right
- Explain why human rights are called universal
- Explain one challenge of enforcing international law