human rights and enviromental examples

The Rohingya Crisis in Myanmar- 2017

Systematic persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority, considered a human rights crisis.

The Arab Spring- 2010-2012

A series of anti-government protests in North Africa and the Middle East, advocating for democracy and human rights.

The War in Darfur-2003-2008

An ethnic conflict in Sudan that led to mass displacement and accusations of genocide.

The Chernobyl Disaster-1986

A nuclear power plant disaster in the Soviet Union that had long-lasting environmental and human health consequences.

The 2010 BP Oil Spill-2010

An oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, one of the worst environmental disasters in history.

International Court of Justice (ICJ)-1945

The principal judicial body of the United Nations, responsible for settling legal disputes between states and providing advisory opinions.

International Criminal Court (ICC)- 2002

A permanent court created to prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia- 1993

Established to prosecute serious crimes committed during the Yugoslav Wars

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)- 1994

Set up to prosecute those responsible for the genocide during the Rwandan Civil War.

European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)-1959

A court that rules on cases involving violations of the European Convention on Human Rights by member states.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)- 1948

A milestone document in the history of human rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, asserting fundamental rights for all humans.

South Africa’s withdrawal from the ICC- 2016

South Africa announced its intention to leave the ICC, arguing that the court's focus on African leaders infringed upon the sovereignty of African states.

Russia's annexation of Crimea- 2014

The international condemnation from the UN and ICJ raised sovereignty issues but was met with defiance from Russia, which continued its control over Crimea.

Bosnian War and NATO Intervention- 1995

NATO's military intervention in Bosnia to stop ethnic cleansing and protect civilians, viewed as a success in humanitarian intervention.

Rwandan Genocide UN failure- 1994

UN peacekeepers were unable to stop the genocide, marking a failure in international intervention.

Libyan Civil War- 2011

NATO intervention under the doctrine of R2P to protect civilians from Gaddafi’s regime, though critics argue it was a case of selective intervention.

Syria Conflict 2011

The international community’s reluctance to intervene against Bashar al-Assad’s regime, highlighting selective interventionism.

Western response to the Syrian Civil War 2011

Western powers were criticized for not intervening militarily despite humanitarian crises, while military interventions in Libya were seen as selective.

Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and the Yemen Conflict 2015

Western countries such as the U.S. and the UK continuing arms sales to Saudi Arabia despite its involvement in the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

UNFCCC Establishment-1992

The UNFCCC was established as the primary international body to negotiate efforts to tackle global climate change.

Kyoto Protocol- 1997

An international agreement under the UNFCCC to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, though it was criticized for not including developing countries like China and India.

IPCC First Assessment Report-1990

The IPCC’s first report confirmed the scientific consensus that climate change is caused by human activity, shaping global climate policy.

IPCC Fifth Assessment Report-2014

Strengthened the understanding of the severity and urgency of global warming, leading to increased political momentum for international climate agreements.

Intervention in Kosovo- 1999

NATO’s bombing campaign, justified on humanitarian grounds, raised questions about the balance between international law, state sovereignty, and human rights.

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Doctrine- 2005

The UN General Assembly endorsed R2P, which sometimes conflicts with state sovereignty, such as in Libya and Syria.

The ICJ and the US Case against Iran

2018 The United States has challenged rulings by the ICJ regarding its sanctions on Iran, raising questions about the court's enforceability and the balance between international law and state sovereignty.

Shallow-Green Ecology

Focuses on addressing environmental issues like pollution and deforestation without altering economic structures, often seen in policies that focus on "green capitalism."

Deep-Green Ecology

Advocates for fundamental societal and economic changes to ensure environmental sustainability, as seen in radical environmental movements like the Green Party.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

2015 The UN’s SDGs attempt to integrate environmental sustainability into global development policy, aiming to combat the tragedy of the commons by advocating for collective global action.

Overfishing in the Commons

Ongoing The depletion of fish stocks due to overfishing exemplifies the tragedy of the commons, where individual countries prioritize short-term gains over long-term sustainability.

The Rio Earth Summit

1992 A major milestone in environmental governance that resulted in the creation of the UNFCCC, though criticized for not leading to binding commitments.

Kyoto Protocol

1997 While it set legally binding emission reduction targets, it lacked enforcement mechanisms and excluded major emitters like the U.S. and China.

Copenhagen Climate Summit

2009 The summit failed to deliver a binding agreement on emissions reductions, showing the difficulties in achieving consensus.

Paris Agreement

2015 A global agreement aiming to limit global temperature rise to below 2°C, with many seeing it as a significant step, though critics argue it lacks enforceability.

Sovereignty and the Paris Agreement

2015 Some countries, especially developing nations, argue that they should not bear the same responsibility for climate change mitigation as developed countries.

The “Green Climate Fund”

2010 The fund aimed to assist developing countries in mitigating climate change, but developing countries argue it has been underfunded, while developed nations insist on the need for greater accountability.

Greenpeace

1971-present An environmental NGO that has successfully campaigned for policies and public awareness on issues such as deforestation, whaling, and climate change.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

1961-present Plays a crucial role in global conservation efforts, including campaigns for biodiversity and climate action.

Amnesty International

1961-present Works globally to expose human rights violations and advocate for political and civil rights.

Human Rights Watch

1978-present Focuses on the protection of human rights through its investigative work and advocacy for global policies to safeguard civil liberties.

The Syrian Civil War (2011-present)

has led to widespread human rights violations, including the use of chemical weapons and indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas.

Syrian civil war

Over 500,000 people have died in the war (UN estimate).13 million people displaced, including over 6.6 million refugees (UNHCR).

United Nations limited capacity in Syria

The UN has repeatedly condemned the violations, but has struggled to intervene due to the veto power of Russia and China on the UN Security Council.

Rwandan Genocide 1994

An estimated 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis, were killed by Hutu extremists over a span of just 100 days.

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)

Set up by the UN to prosecute those responsible for the genocide. The tribunal convicted over 60 individuals for crimes against humanity.

Tiananmen Square Massacre

1989: The Chinese government’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, leading to hundreds (possibly thousands) of deaths.

Uighur Muslim Repression

Reports suggest that over 1 million Uighurs and other ethnic minorities have been detained in Xinjiang's "re-education" camps. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have described this as cultural genocide.

Rohingya Crisis 2017

Military-led violence in Myanmar resulted in the displacement of over 740,000 Rohingya Muslims, with widespread reports of rape, murder, and arson.

The U.S-climate change

the second-largest emitter of CO2 in the world, accounting for around 15% of global emissions as of 2019.

Paris Agreement and USA

The U.S. initially withdrew under President Trump in 2017 and 2025

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The U.S. has made efforts to regulate pollutants through the EPA, but challenges remain with deforestation, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions
CO2 Emissions and China

as the largest emitter of carbon dioxide, China accounts for around 28% of global emissions.

China’s climate Change Goals

China has committed to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

India water Scarcity

Over 600 million people in India face high to extreme water stress, with a significant impact on agriculture and urban populations.

India air Pollution

India is home to some of the world’s most polluted cities, with Delhi regularly seeing PM2.5 levels more than 15 times the WHO’s safety limits.

Environmental Response:
India clean Energy Initiatives

India has ambitious plans to increase its renewable energy capacity, aiming for 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 and 500 GW by 2030.

India Paris Agreement Commitment

India is committed to reducing emissions intensity by 33-35% by 2030 from 2005 levels.