UNIT 9 GLOBAL ISSUES

When was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted?

1948

What was the immediate context for why the UDHR was drafted (select all that apply; there may be one to four possible correct answers)?

-The terrible atrocities committed during WWII¸ such as the Holocaust

-The horror of over 50 million dead in WWII

What is the difference between a treaty and a declaration?

A treaty is a legally binding instrument whereas a declaration is a statement of principles

Prior to the creation of the UDHR, what document first mentions human rights?

The Preamble to the UN Charter

What is the name of the key human rights document of the post-WWII era?

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

How many countries voted against the UDHR in 1948?

0

How many countries abstained from voting on the UDHR in 1948?

8

What role did Eleanor Roosevelt play after her husband, President Franklin Roosevelt, had died? (select all that apply; there may be one to four possible correct answers)

-She became a member of the committee charged with drafting the UDHR

-She was invited to be part of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations

Who was instrumental in ensuring that the phrase “all men are created equal” was replaced with “all human beings are born free and equal”?

Hansa Mehta, India

When is international Human Rights Day and why?

December 10, because that is when, in 1948, the UDHR was adopted

Which generation of human rights includes freedom of speech and assembly?

First

Which of the following is a first-generation right?

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is typically divided into ___________ generations, or categories:

Three

First-generation rights are also known as negative rights because:

They prohibit certain government action and are therefore based on the absence of government interference

U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1977. When did the United States ratify the treaty?

1992

Why didn’t the United States ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) until well after the treaty had gone into effect (select all that apply, there may be one to four possible correct answers)?

-The United States had concerns that ratifying the treaty could erode its national sovereignty

-The United States was reluctant to expose itself to international criticism

In the BBC news video, you learned about the tension that can exist between what two human rights?

Right to freedom of expression and right to life, liberty and security

In which of the following can we find the right to freedom of expression (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-1^st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

-Universal Declaration of Human Rights

-International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

life¸ liberty¸ and security of person

Civil and political rights (aka first-generation rights)

to be free from torture

Civil and political rights (aka first-generation rights)

right to leisure

Economic and social rights (aka second-generation rights)

freedom of thought

Civil and political rights (aka first-generation rights)

participate freely in cultural life

Solidarity rights (aka third-generation rights)

right to education

Economic and social rights (aka second-generation rights)

enjoy the arts and share in scientific advancements

Solidarity rights (aka third-generation rights)

access to health

Economic and social rights (aka second-generation rights)

right to a just social and international order

Solidarity rights (aka third-generation rights)

The difference between a negative and a positive obligation imposed on states by human rights rests on __________________

Whether a government needs to act to ensure that rights are protected

Which of the following is an example of second-generation rights?

Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work

First-generation rights are influenced by the philosophical tradition of  _______________, whereas second-generation rights are influenced by the philosophical tradition of  _______________:

Capitalism / socialism

Where first-generation rights are often associated with the rights of _____________ people, second- and third-generation rights reflect the rights of ________________ people.

Individual / groups of

Where second-generation rights require a proactive government to act on behalf of its citizens, third-generation rights require ________________ (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers):

-International cooperation

-Solidarity

What are the two main reasons outlined by the UNESCO video that show why the right to education is so important?

Education transcends social and economic status and international education standards can be set to defend the right to education

How does UNESCO try to uphold the right to education for everyone on the globe (select all that apply, there are one to six possible correct answers)?

-Through holding conferences where leaders can come together to develop conventions

-Through fostering the development of norms and standards to ensure equal opportunities in education

-By monitoring how states are implementing the right to education

-By consulting with states on what they are doing and by making recommendations 

-Through an online observatory that disseminates information

-Through advocacy and the study of key issues

What does Lailani Farha, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, suggest we do as a way to better protect the right to adequate housing (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-Ensure that landlords and real estate investors don’t engage in activities that produce homelessness

-Critically examine how we deal with land¸ property¸ and investment (especially in cities)

-Develop regulations so as not to have large-scale inequalities

Sovereignty assumes:

That countries are self-governing, have territorial integrity, and self-determination

What are some of the examples through which globalization challenges state sovereignty (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-International financial institutions can grant or withhold resources

-Technology has made it possible to put pressure on a state by facilitating communication that goes around government restrictions

-MNCs can more easily move across borders and escape regulation by governments

-International organized crime has become so powerful in some places that it controls territory and large segments of a state’s population

The following factors show how globalization has helped in promoting human rights (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers):

-Advances in technology and gains in literacy and education allow more people know about human rights

-Social media platforms have allowed people to organize even when governments try to limit free speech and assemble

 -Information technology has made it easier for human rights NGOs to communicate with their stakeholders and put greater pressure on governments to comply with human rights standards

Universalism is represented by the idea that:

Human rights are accorded to everyone regardless of citizenship or status

Cultural relativism is based on the notion that (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers):

-The final authority in determining the rights of a citizenry lies with the people and their government

-Local traditions trump the rights in the UDHR

Which of the following is NOT an example that has led some people to argue that cultural relativism trumps universalism?

-Gender quotas in legislatures

How have the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) countered the cultural relativist claims that support female genital mutilation (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-By passing a resolution on the elimination of female genital mutilation in the General Assembly

-By framing the issue in public health rather than human rights

What, according to the UN video, is important to understand about the universal/cultural diversity relationship?

Universality is not a weapon against cultural diversity, nor is cultural diversity a justification of human rights violations

In what ways does the United Nations support human rights (select all that apply, there are one to four possible corrects answers)?

-The United Nations helps formulate international human rights standards through treaties and declarations

-The United Nations promotes knowledge and public support through educating publics about human rights

-The United Nations helps implement human rights through enforcement activities such as peacekeeping

-The United Nations helps implement human rights through economic development

The concept of Responsibility to Protect (R2P), developed by the United Nations, shows the growing importance of human rights by (select all that apply, there are one to four possible corrects answers):

-Putting forward the idea that the international community has the responsibility to intervene in situations where a state fails to protect its population from genocide¸ crimes against humanity¸ or war crimes

-Stressing that states have the responsibility to protect their populations from genocide¸ crimes against humanity¸ or war crimes

What idea argues the international community has a responsibility to intervene in situations where a state fails to protect its population from genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes?

Responsibility to Protect

In what conflict in 2011 did the United Nations invoke the principle of R2P (Responsibility to Protect) as justification for military intervention?

Libya

In what conflict in 2013 did the United Nations invoke the principle of R2P (Responsibility to Protect) as justification for French-led military intervention?

Central African Republic

Which UN organ can authorize military intervention to enforce human rights?

The Security Council

What is a human rights treaty body?

This is a committee of human rights experts that studies how well a country is living up to its human rights promises

The International Criminal Court (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers):

-Currently has a majority of its investigations involving defendants from African states

-Can try cases involving crimes against humanity¸ war crimes¸ and genocide

After the end of the Cold War, the United Nations created international criminal tribunals to prosecute individuals responsible for ethnic cleansing, genocidal violence, and crimes against humanity in which of the following (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-Rwanda

-The former Yugoslavian countries

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is in:

The Hague

Which region has the most cases currently before the ICC?

Africa

Which of the following states have not become one of the States Parties to the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court, the ICC (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-China

-United States of America

-Russia

Which of the following are human rights NGOs (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-Human Rights Watch

-Amnesty International

While NGOs do not have official membership status at the United Nations, they do have important influence through their close cooperation with

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

Which of the following are some of the ways through which celebrities (famous actors, sports figures, or billionaires) can affect human rights (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-Acting as UN Goodwill Ambassadors

-Founding Human Rights Organizations

-Engaging in philanthropic behavior by giving money to human rights causes

-Using their celebrity status to raise awareness

Which of the following are examples through which technological innovations have been successfully used to promote human rights (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-When Egyptian protesters in 2011 used Twitter to mobilize against their authoritarian rule

-When cellphones are used to warn farmers of crop rot

-When the Grameen Foundation uses text messaging to coach expectant parents in Ghana

-When phone apps are used to document election violence¸ police violence¸ and other human rights violations

Which of the following is NOT true about the role of technology in human rights (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-Technology can never be used for positive and negative purposes at the same time

-Whether people live in developed or underdeveloped countries¸ technology has benefited everyone equally

What are some of the ways in which MNCs can promote human rights (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-They can use their access to markets around the world as a way of building networks based on real-time data exchanges¸ allowing the UN faster response time during emergencies

-Through public private partnerships they can help develop the technology needed for the United Nations or NGOs to get more data on human rights issues

What is the important balance to be drawn when it comes to online privacy issues?

To ensure that there are regulations to protect data privacy while not overreaching in a way that compromises legitimate state needs or stops speech and free expression

Which of the following are examples given by the Australian Human Rights Commission that show how often technological innovations do not consider people with disabilities (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)? 

-Household goods that people with visual impairments cannot use

-Emergency announcements without sign language interpreters 

-Websites that cannot be read by people who use screen readers

-CAPTCHA tests on websites that incorrectly identify people with disabilities as robots

What are examples through which the Chinese government violates the human rights of its Uyghur minority (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

-By not allowing people the right to practice their religion or culture¸ or to speak their language

-By holding people in captivity and not letting them be in touch with their families

-By forcing people to live in re-education camps (better known as prison camps)

-By making people work as forced laborers in factories and on fields for little to no pay

How does the Chinese government justify its repressive tactics against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang Province?

-By claiming that it is keeping the region free of extremists and that there is no forced labor but only jobs programs

-By claiming that the accusations of human rights abuses are lies

-By denying that it is involved in human rights abuses 

What is questionable about the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s statement that it “did not find any forced, bonded, indentured or child labor” connected to the making of Olympic merchandise in the Uyghur region?

The IOC did not disclose the names of the auditors or of the factories they looked at, and then listed only two apparel companies

What is the name given to China’s practice of hiding human rights abuses behind the veil of hosting the Olympics and using some Uyghur participation as proof of their well-being?

Sportswashing

What does it show when many companies try to maintain a level of neutrality regarding China’s treatment of the Uyghurs, or in the case of Tesla’s Elon Musk, even say that “China rocks”?

Corporate dependence on Chinese supply chains (such as with rare earth metals, where China has a dominance in the market)

What does Human Rights Watch (HRW) want to achieve by highlighting the role of multinational corporations operating in the Uyghur region?

Changing corporate behavior using consumer demand

Why does the United Nations' High Commissioner on Human Rights say that the Russian invasion of Ukraine “has thrown us back to an archaic era” (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

Because Russia attacked a neighboring country’s territory and treated it as its own

Because Russia denies the identity and history of the Ukrainian community

Because Russia’s violations of international human rights law have become shockingly routine

Because Russia acted in contravention of the UN Charter

Which of the following is the reason why the ICC issued an indictment against Russian President Vladimir Putin?

War crimes, focusing on the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia

Which of the following are some of the consequences of the ICC’s indictment of Russia’s president (select all that apply, there are one to four possible correct answers)?

Putin is left even more isolated

Countries that are signatory to the Rome Statute are obligated to arrest Putin if he steps foot on their territory

It provides a signal from the international community that they’ll seek justice for what’s been happening in Ukraine

What kind of activist work can individuals like Khalida Popal (captain of Afghanistan’s first women’s football team) do to promote human rights?

Engaging in advocacy and using their platforms to be the voice of those who can’t speak up for themselves