Protecting and promotinghuman rights for all

M Azizur Rahman Human rights, according to Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia - are "basic rights and freedom that all people are entitled to regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, language, or other status". All people, as well as the norms and standards of human rights amply, have equal rights by virtue of being human beings. Human rights may exist as natural rights or legal rights under both national and international laws. Human rights have been a cornerstone of public policy, all around the world. Human beings are born free everywhere. They are by birth equal in dignity and rights. Human beings are to be treated at all places, with a spirit of brotherhood. According to the United States Declaration of Independence, 1776, ". . . . we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." In any human society, we believe that natural properties are created by God, not by any man or woman. Natural land and other properties do not belong to any one. In this spirit, we are all equal in the society. We expect that human rights exist in everyone's interests. Social properties and advantages should be equitably distributed among people. It does not mean that somebody will work and the others will not. Our common philosophy behind the standard human rights is that all of us should work to a maximum possible extent of our capacity and try to improve our fate, life and living. Human beings have a kind of growing expectations. What is that? That is about the human rights, which have become part of people's social expectation. In other words, human rights are the products of the natural law. According to international covenants, the ideal of free human beings enjoying civil and political freedom and freedom from fear and want, can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his or her civil and political rights as well as his or her social, economic and cultural rights. We require civil and political rights, without which we cannot assert our economic and cultural rights. Similarly, without having an effectively functioning social mechanism, we cannot make proper use of our civil and political rights. According to the United Nations Charter, this world body has to help create conditions, congenial to raising standards of living, ensuring full employment and promoting economic and social progress and development. It has to offer solutions to international economic, social, health, and other related problems. It has to facilitate international cultural and educational cooperation to help foster a culture, showing universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. We need effective international cooperation to help solve problems of economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian nature. This cooperation is critically important for promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for ensuring fundamental freedom for all, irrespective of race, gender, language or religion. (The writer is Vice Chancellor, Uttara University)