| International Human Rights law in one sense offers | | | | (ICESR). These three conventions are said to |
| great promise and hope because of the lofty ideals | | | | represent in respective order first generation |
| which it espouses and in another sense great | | | | universal human rights, second generation universal |
| disappointment because of the gap between what | | | | human rights and the third generation universal human |
| these idealistic statements proscribe in terms of an | | | | rights. Critics of the International human rights law |
| aspiration for all mankind and the reality under which | | | | project level their objections on the basis that the |
| most people live. If all of the rights which are said to | | | | idea of universal rights if a western concept which is |
| exist under the international human rights law project | | | | imposed without any sensitivity to the cultural |
| did actually exist, a global utopia would have come | | | | practices of cultures which have developed |
| into existence. However all around the world, there | | | | independently of a rights based legal system. |
| are routinely breaches of the rights set out in the | | | | Although this is true in some respects, there are also |
| fundamental documents that proscribe what rights | | | | human rights advocates within these cultures who |
| mankind is supposed to enjoy simply as a result of | | | | accept the universality of the idea of human rights |
| the fact that we are human. | | | | and say that often this intellectual objection to the |
| The body of rights which is largely held to exist | | | | notion of human rights is an excuse used to gloss |
| stems from three major documents which are said | | | | over the numerous human rights atrocities committed |
| to the be the 'international bill of rights'. This is | | | | by governments around the world. In any event, the |
| composed of the Universal Declaration of Human | | | | global recognition of human rights has now existed |
| Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil | | | | for over 60 years in a codified international form and |
| and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International | | | | it appears unlikely that it will cease at any point in the |
| Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights | | | | near future as a relevant political discourse. |