Human rights are those rights that each person is entitled to simply because he or she is a human being. The concept of human rights is based on the idea that each person has worth and dignity, and thus deserves certain basic freedoms. When these freedoms are recognized, each individual can enjoy safety, security, and the ability to make many decisions about his or her life.
The laws and court systems of most nations are designed to protect human rights. But national systems are not always effective, and many fail to acknowledge certain human rights. Today, international standards help to ensure human rights when national governments do not.
Most of the international laws that define and guarantee human rights were developed by the United Nations (UN), an organization dedicated to worldwide peace and security. Almost every independent country in the world belongs to the UN. Thus, the UN joins most of the world into an international community.
The world's societies also have contact with one another through trade; through culture; and through such media as newspapers, television, and the Internet. This connectedness, sometimes called globalization, helps spread human rights awareness throughout the world. Furthermore, violations of human rights are now more likely to be exposed, and the UN and other organizations are more capable of combating those violations.
