Effectiveness of International Institutions for Human Rights

Effectiveness of International Institutions for Human Rights Hosea Luy How effective are international institutions in protecting human rights? International institutions face many problems in their effort to protect and promote human rights. They are therefore only moderately effective in their protection of human rights. Although these institutions face limitations to their success, their work and achievements have been crucial to the advancement and promotion of human rights world-wide. It is also important to note that â€Å"until 1945, human rights was generally considered to be a matter within the exclusive domestic sovereignty of states† (Cassel, 2001, p. 134). Consequently international human rights institutions are still young and rapidly growing so we cannot fully analyse their effectiveness. This essay will explore the role and effectiveness of international human rights law through the United Nations, nongovernmental organisations namely Amnesty International and the impact of state sovereignty. It is difficult to pin-point evidence that directly supports the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of international institutions. This is because international institutions work in tandem with other mechanisms to protect human rights, and only together are they successful (Cassel, 2001, p. 123). These mechanisms include the human rights consciousness of the public, nongovernmental organisations and domestic human rights institutions all of which influence each other. This essay will focus on the protection of civil and political rights excluding a major category of human rights, economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights. Progress in these areas has been limited when examined in the context of all those in need of food, medicine, housing and other ESC rights. â€Å"International human rights activists see how little impact they have in taking on matters of purely distributive justice† (Roth, 2004, p. 72), and this is combined with the need for a huge amount of material resources to protect and promote ESC rights (Cassel, 2001, p. 124). The United Nations (UN) is the top global institution and is unrivalled in its capability â€Å"to reach out or into virtually every society, and to establish universally applicable norms† (Gaer, 1995, p. 393). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) is the primary piece of international human rights law and has been signed and ratified by many countries. Any nation state that has signed and ratified the UNDHR is obligated to: â€Å"make laws that protect and promote human rights for all its citizens support non-government organisations that carry out programs to help people who are victims of human rights abuses† (Human Rights: Organisations and Institutions, 2000, para. 12). However there is no legal obligation exists to force signatories to introduce domestic law to follow the standards set by the UNDHR (Steinerte Wallace, 2009, p. 9). This is combined with the sometimes illegitimate excuses of national security and sovereignty that have often been used to â€Å"conceal, excuse or justify human rights abuses† (Human Rights: Organisations and Institutions, 2000, para. 6). International human rights law has quite short history and has since its inception been useful for the protection of human rights (Cassel, 2001, p. 134). It has been most effective through its indirect impacts, setting global standards for nations to follow. This has then influenced action on the domestic level in important areas such as politics, the media and the public consciousness (Cassel, 2001, p. 122). The UN’s direct mechanisms to enforce human rights also have a beneficial impact although this is much more limited (Haynes, Hough, Malik, Pettiford, 2011, p. 452). These mechanisms, such as the Human Rights Committee designated to enforce the standards documented in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, investigate human rights abuses, communicate with governments for emergencies and publicly present their findings and proposals (Gaer, 1995, p. 393). In 2006, a new body, the Human Rights Council (HRC), was created to replace the poor performing UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) (Haynes, et al., 2011, p. 452). It is hoped that the HRC may be able to advance human rights in the future with several changes, such as meeting three times a year whereas the UNCHR only met once a year (Haynes, et al., 2011, p. 452). The UN performed a significant role in coordinating an international effort to end the human rights abuses arising from the policy of apartheid in South Africa. Evidence suggests that economic pressures and sanctions during the 1980s, played a crucial role to end the discriminatory regime (Grundy, 1991, p. 85). Nel son Mandela confirmed the large role of the UN in ending the apartheid regime when he addressed the UN General Assembly in 1994. â€Å"We stand here today to salute the United Nations Organization and its Member States, both singly and collectively, for joining forces with the masses of our people in a common struggle that has brought about our emancipation and pushed back the frontiers of racism.† (Reddy, n.d.) International law and the treaties established through the UN should be recognised as a â€Å"useful tool for the protection of human rights, and one which promises to be more useful in the future† (Cassel, 2001, p. 135). Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) are widely understood to be influential players in the field of international relations. They cooperate on a close level with departments of the UN, providing information on human rights situations, giving advice to commissions and committees to set agendas and policy as well as working together with operational agencies to carry out missions (Martens, 2004, p. 1051). Importantly, NGOs seek to be independent of governments and groups attempting to obtain political power (Wiseberg, 1992, p. 372). The primary goals of NGOs include monitoring and reporting on the human rights progress of nation states, especially violations and building pressure on abusers of human rights (Gaer, 1995, p. 394). Amnesty International is one of the largest human rights NGOs (Human Rights: Organisations and Institutions, 2000, para. 15). The creation of the first mechanism that had the ability to take international action in emergencies was a result of detailed NGO repor ts of human rights violations. The Working Group on Forced or Involuntary Disappearances sought to respond to reports in Argentina of the kidnapping and torture of people under the rule of military president Jorge Rafael Videla (Gaer, 1995, p. 392). Following a research mission in 1976, Amnesty International produced a detailed report explaining the existence of detention without judicial order and torture as well as a list of those who had â€Å"disappeared† (Gaer, 1995, p. 392). According to Mariela Belski the Director of Amnesty International in Argentina, â€Å"Argentina led the way in the prosecution of those responsible for the torture, killing and disappearance of thousands of people during the many military governments across Latin America† (Argentina: Death of former military leader who did not escape justice, 2013, para. 2). Amnesty international and other Human rights NGOs have acted as the driving force behind the vast majority of progress in the human righ ts field by the UN (Gaer, 1995, p. 389). They should be considered as crucial elements for the advancement of human rights and they will increase their effectiveness as they grow in the future. A major setback to the effectiveness of international institutions seeking to advance human rights is that national sovereignty overrules international treaties (Human Rights: Organisations and Institutions, 2000, para. 10). The concept of sovereignty was first formally adopted in the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 (Haynes, et al., 2011, p. 29). Westphalia gave state uncontested rule over their nations and legally prevented international interference in a country’s domestic, religious affairs (McCormick, 2012, p. 1). Sovereignty is also stated in the Charter of the United Nations in Article 2-4, barring any attacks on the â€Å"territorial integrity or political independence† of any country and Article 2-7 which limits intervention (McCormick, 2012, p. 1). Each signatory to a global treaty has an obligation to and is responsible and for enacting the international human rights standards in their state’s domestic law (Steinerte Wallace, 2009, p. 12). Often commitmen t to UN treaties leads to an improved respect for human rights. This is mainly true in countries with â€Å"democratically accountable governments or strong civil society† (Neumayer, 2005, p. 930). Although a strong democratic state does not always lead to compliance. Many states, including those that have strong liberal-democratic values continue to use their sovereignty to shirk international law. According to the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Gillian Trigg, Australia’s government has breached international law by placing asylum seeker children in detention. As a matter of very clear international law children should not be detained for anything more than what is absolutely necessary for health checks and security checks. (Children in detention: Is Australia breaching international law? 2014) Recent studies suggest that human rights laws have the least effect on nations that need it most, countries with oppressive governments â€Å" without in ternal advocates for reform† (Hafner-Burton Tsutsui, 2007, p. 408). Taking into account cases where international law has been disregarded, we should not be pessimistic about the ratification of human rights treaties by nations including those ruled by repressive governments. This should raise hopes for future progress. The main factors preventing state commitments to international institutions are not the poor and ineffective design of these institutions but the failure of governments to commit themselves to the treaties they have signed (Moravcsik, 1995, p. 181). Much progress has made by international human rights institutions in their short history and they should be commended for that fact. However many barriers still exist that prevent human rights being upheld across all states. The main of which is state sovereignty. Nations may choose to sign international treaties but compliance to these documents and effecting changes in domestic law is not a legal obligation. As a result, it could be argued that international institutions have been weak in their promotion and protection of human rights. Instead we should understand to see these institutions as growing establishments that are still in their infancy having remarkable achievements in a short amount of time. Institutions, in particular the United Nations and NGOs have a crucial role to play in the advancement of human rights and the full effectiveness of their operations is still to be seen. Reference List Cassel, D. (2001). Does international human rights law make a difference? Chicago Journal of International Law, 2(1), 121-135. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/237215195?accountid=10344 Gaer, F. D. (1995). Reality Check: Human Rights Nongovernmental Organisations Confront Governments at the United Nations. Third World Quarterly, 16(3), 389. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3992883 Grundy, Kenneth W., 1991. South Africa: Domestic Crisis and Global Challenge. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. Hafner-Burton, E. M., Tsutsui, K. (2007). Justice Lost! The Failure of International Human Rights Law To Matter Where Needed Most. Journal of Peace Research, 44(4), 407-425. DOI: 10.1177/0022343307078942 Haynes, J., Hough, P., Malik, S., Pettiford, L. (2011). World Politics. London: Pearson Education Limited. Martens, K. (2004). An Appraisal of Amnesty Internationals Work at the United Nations: Established Areas of Activities and Shifting Priorities Since the 1990s. Human Rights Quarterly, 26(4), 1050-1070. DOI: 10.1353/hrq.2004.0052 McCormick, C. (2012, September). UNHRC: The Debate over Sovereignty and Human Rights [Lecture Notes]. Retrieved from: http://modelun.ucsd.edu/TopicSynopsis/TritonMUN UNHRC Tibet 9-24-2012.pdf. Moravcsik, A. (1995). Explaining International Human Rights Regimes: Liberal Theory and Western Europe. European Journal of International Relations, 1(2), 157-189. DOI: 10.1177/1354066195001002002 Neumayer, E. (2005). Do international human rights treaties improve respect for human rights? Journal of Conflict Resolution, 49(6), 925-953. Retrieved from: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/612/ Reddy, E. S. (n.d.). Nelson Mandela International Day, July 18, For Freedom, Justice and Democracy. In UN.org. Retrieved from: http://www.un.org/en/events/mandeladay/apartheid.shtml Roth, K. (2004). Defending Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Practical Issues Faced by an International Human Rights Organization. Human Rights Quarterly, 26(1), 63-73. DOI: 10.1353/hrq.2004.0010 Steinerte, E., Wallace, R.M.M. (2009). United Nations protection of human rights. London: University of London Press Wiseberg, L.S. (1992). Human rights non-governmental organizations, in R Claude B Weston, Human Rights in the World Community, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press Wotipka, C., Tsutsui, K. (2008). Global Human Rights and State Sovereignty: State Ratification of International Human Rights Treaties, 1965–2001. Sociological Forum, 23(4), 724-754. doi:10.1111/j.1573-7861.2008.00092.x (2000). Human Rights: Organisations and Institutions. In Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved from: http://www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/organ.htm (2013). Argentina: Death of former military leader who did not escape justice. In Amnesty International. Retrieved from: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/argentina-death-former-military-leader-who-did-not-escape-justice-2013-05-17 (2014). Children in detention: Is Australia breaching international law? In ABC News. Retrieved from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-31/children-in-detention-is-australia-breaching-international-law/5344022 1

Microscopy of Living Microbes

Purpose: To prepare students to familiarize themselves with the lab equipment such as the microscope, square glass, cover slips, etc.; to facilitate students to observe the pond water; and enable them to discern and identify the microbes as bacteria, algae, fungi, or protozoa within the pond water. Additionally, this lab experiment will permit students to observe and distinguish the yeast suspension from the other microbes.Data/Results: (Attached)Conclusion: The student acquired the fundamental skills in which to properly handle lab equipment and execute an experiment. By examining the pond water with the 40X lens, the student was able to distinguish and identify the protozoa with cilia: colpidium, which was recognized by its unique oval shape, resembling a peanut, with small hair-like particles comprising the entire surface, and the vascular plant, which was discrete due to its array of composition of cells.By examining the pond water with the 100X lens, the student was able to diff erentiate and classify 1) the cyanobacteria: nostoc due to its distinctive S shape and beads with surrounding cells, 2) two nematodes (phylum nematoda) parallel to one another (the nematodes appeared as slender worms, colorless, and encompassed of cells), and 3) the cyanobacteria: anabaena, which was blue-green in its feature with long filaments of cells (resembling a seaweed structure). By examining the yeast suspension with the 40X lens, the student observed millions of budding yeast cell structures. The student was able to discern between the various structures of pond water microorganisms, such as cilia and algae, and the yeast suspension cellular material.Questions:1. What is Brownian motion and why is it generally seen when bacteria are observed in liquid media? Some bacteria, perhaps many in your presentation did not display Brownian motion. Why is that? Brownian motion is a non-directional movement triggered when cells are blasted by water molecules. Brownian motion is gener ally seen when bacteria are observed in liquid media primarily by the production of gas that bacteria yields, which is converted into liquid fluids. Thus, some bacteria, many in the experiment presentation, did not display Brownian motion because of the lack of energy of the system and the absence of flagella that impels bacteria to move voluntarily.2. How can Brownian motion be distinguished from motility?As mentioned previously, Brownian motion is a non-directional movement triggered when cells are blasted by water molecules whereas motility is the capability of an organism to independently move either towards or away from a specific stimulus. Therefore, Brownian motion is distinguishable from motility due to it being a false movement while motility enables organisms to transfer by means of flagellum, endoflagella, or axil filaments. 3. What are flagella? What is the difference between bacterial flagella and eukaryotic flagella?Flagella are long protein structures responsible for most type of prokaryotic motility and also propel cells through liquid. Bacterial flagella, which are also referred to as prokaryotic flagella, are smaller than eukaryotic flagella and have a simple structure, are made up of protein flagellin that provides a mechanism of motility, are proton driven, and have a rotatory movement. On the other hand, eukaryotic flagella have a larger and more complex configuration, are composed of tubulin that delivers a mechanism of locomotion, are ATP driven, and have a bending movement.4. In wet mount preparations, is it possible to see eukaryotic flagella? Prokaryotic flagella? In wet mount preparations, it is possible to see eukaryotic flagella, but it is not possible to see prokaryotic flagella. 5. Does crystal clear pond water contain living bacteria? What about air? Your finger? All things that are not sterile do contain living bacteria such as pond water, air, and fingers.

Coursework †Metamorphosis Essay

Gregor must work at a job he hates to pay off his family’s debts. The family is in debt, but he is the only one who has a job. While he wakes up early and goes on the train until late at night, his father has a leisurely life. Kafka writes, â€Å"for his father breakfast was the most important meal time in the day, which he prolonged for hours by reading various newspapers. † Instead of working, he is eating and reading newspapers for many hours. At this time, Gregor must work to support the whole family. Later, he finds out that the family has enough money to live on for a few years and maybe Gregor did not have to work so hard. Kafka writes, â€Å"with this excess money, he could have paid off more of his father’s debt to his employer and the day on which he could be rid of this position would have been a lot closer. † He is like a servant, and this is not natural for a family member. Changing into the insect is symbolic of being liberated from this life. Since he is now a bug and cannot work, he does not have to be responsible for paying off the family’s debt anymore. Instead, the family has to be responsible. Therefore, the metamorphosis is also symbolic of the family being liberated because they do not depend on Gregor anymore. They depend on themselves for support. After the change, the mother and sister must do the cooking and the family must all get jobs. Once that happens, the family quickly decides that they do not want or need Gregor anymore. They are independent and decide that Gregor is not an important part of the family. Question 2: If the story was set in contemporary America and Gregor was working two jobs, the plot would change in many ways. If he is working two jobs, it is probably because they are barely able to pay the debts. The family would already be working, they would not get new jobs so easily, and there would be no servant girl or lodgers. If Gregor had two jobs, the other family would probably be working too. This would change the plot significantly. If all the family is working, Gregor would not be the only one responsible for the debts. After the metamorphosis, the family would not have enough money. If they are already working and Gregor loses two jobs, the family would be more in debt every day. Also, in the story, the family starts working soon after Gregor is changed to an insect. However, today it is not so simple to get a job like in the story. If the family has to get new jobs, it would take a long time and their debts would be higher. In addition, there would not have been a servant in the story. Kafka writes, â€Å"The servant girl was now let go. A huge bony cleaning woman with white hair flying all over her head came in the morning and evening to do the heaviest work. The mother took care of everything else in addition to her considerable sewing work. † If Gregor was working two jobs, the family would not have a servant girl or cleaning woman. They would not have enough money and the family would do this work themselves. Also, the family gets rent from three lodgers. Today, lodgers are not so common so the family would be forced to find other ways to get money. The story does not say if the rent is a lot of money, but one of the family would have to get another job to replace the rent. Question 3: I researched â€Å"The Metamorphosis† and found two very good resources: 1. The Modern World. 16 Mar. 2007 . This website is a collection of information about Franz Kafka and â€Å"The Metamorphosis. † It has a biography, review of the story, and a collection of other resources like papers, research, and websites. 2. Bloom, Harold, ed. Franz Kafka’s the Metamorphosis. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. This is a book with many essays about â€Å"The Metamorphosis. † I read â€Å"Metamorphosis of the Metapho r† by Stanley Corngold and â€Å"From Marx to Myth: The Structure and Function of Self-Alienation in Kafka’s Metamorphosis† by Walter H. Sokel. In â€Å"From Marx to Myth: The Structure and Function of Self-Alienation in Kafka’s Metamorphosis,† Walter H. Sokel writes Gregor turns into an insect because he has self-contempt. Sokel writes, â€Å"Seeing himself as vermin, and being treated as such by his business and family, the traveling salesman Gregor Samsa literally turns into vermin† (105). I agree with the author when he says vermin represents the way Gregor is treated, but I do not agree that Gregor sees himself this way. Gregor does not like his job, but must go to work to â€Å"pay off my parents’ debt† to his boss. His family uses him because he can make money and pay off the debts. His boss uses him because he can make money for the company. Kafka writes about Gregor, â€Å"He was the boss’s minion, without backbone or intelligence. † He cannot even miss work if he is sick. He certainly is treated like vermin by his family and boss. However, I do not see that Gregor thinks he is vermin until after he turns into an insect. He seems to be proud that he supports his family.

National Airspace and Airport Congestion Case Study

The future of the airline industry has been calculated to increase in the next 12 years at a growth rate of 2.2 percent per year of enplaned travelers to destinations within the United States. The passenger projections has been estimated to reach 800 billion by 2016 and to continue growth to one billion by 2027, and reaching 1.2 billion by 2033. This will certainly give Facebook a run for its money with the social interaction of the travelers. Albeit, the FAA , several other government agencies, communities responsible for large hub airports and the airline industry are planning ahead to transform the infrastructure of our domestic airports. This joint effort will push to reach solutions of the basic core of our air transportation issues that will limit our capacity to physically maintain the ability to support these increases. Any loss, delays, or inability to transport passengers will mean a loss of revenue, not only for the airlines, but the communities and industries this mode of transportation and facilities support. With an industry that affects approximately 4.9 to 5.2 percent of the United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it is imperative that they resolve the issues of our National Airspace System and our airline and airport infrastructure. I will use my assigned carrier, American Airlines, and the primary hubs that support the company and define what the airline hubs capacity is today and the requirements that will meet the needs of the future in theShow MoreRelatedNational Airspace and Airport Congestion Case Study1401 Words   |  6 Pagesforeseeable future. This congestion has been proven to cause costly delays and potential hazards to commercial aviation and the airport environment. 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