Nweze On Human Rights

“The vocabulary of human rights has become universalised. Contemporary concern for human rights attained a high momentum in response to the horrendous events of the inter-war years. The concept, which was espoused by the UN charter, UDHR and amplified in the two international covenants and other conventions, has acquired elements which take matters beyond the original notion. Hence, the concept is no longer tied to natural law in its classical sense. The contemporary notion of human rights harps on human dignity and human autonomy. Its pivotal concern is the full development (empowerment) of each individual human being. This is the utilitarian view of human rights now in vogue. In this view, human rights are now seen response to the special threats to human dignity: poverty and hunger; underdevelopment; corruption; impunity etc.” – ‘Reconstructing Human Rights Jurisprudence’.