Cultural Issues In International Law

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Introduction Human rights are understood as rights which belong to an individual as a consequence of being human and for no other reason. Hence human rights are the rights people are entitled to simply because they are human beings, irrespective of their citizenship, nationality, race, ethnicity, language, gender, sexuality, or abilities; human rights become enforceable when they are codified as Conventions, Covenants, or Treaties, or as they become recognized as Customary International Law. No one needs to possess a qualification in order to enjoy their human rights. Culture takes various forms across time and space. This diversity is personified in the uniqueness and multitude of the identities of the groups and societies making up humankind.…show more content…
Every individual is equally entitled to their own human rights without discrimination. According to F.Nel and J.Bezuidenhout (1997) human rights are those rights which human beings are perceived to have by virtue of their humanity and inherent dignity and not by virtue of human laws and customs. Human rights may be regarded as a method of attaining the aim of human dignity. Universal human rights are often expressed and guaranteed by law in the form of treaties, customary international law, general principles and other sources of international law. International rights law lays down the obligations of governments to act in a certain way and to refrain from certain acts to protect human right and fundamental freedoms of individual or…show more content…
UNESCO points out that cultural rights are an integral part of human rights and all persons should therefore be able to express themselves, create and propagate their work in the language of their choice particularly in their native language and all persons should be able to participate in the cultural life of their choice and conduct their own cultural practices subject to respect for human rights and essential freedoms. Conclusion The defence of cultural diversity is an ethical imperative, inseparable from respect for human dignity. It implies a commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the rights of persons belonging to minorities and those of indigenous peoples. No one may invoke cultural diversity to infringe upon human rights guaranteed by international law, nor to limit their
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