UNIT 20 HUMAN RIGHTS IN 21ST CENTURY:

CHALLENGES OF GLOBALIZATION

Structure
20.0 Objectives
20.1 Introduction
20.2 Globalization Democracy and Human Rights
20.2.1 Two Faces of Globalization

20.3 Idea of Human Rights in the Era of Globalization

20.4 Globalization, Global Society and Human Rights
20.4.1 Structural Adjustment Programmes

20.4.2 Transnational Corporations and Human Rights

20.5 Critique of Dominant Human Rights Discourse: A View from Periphery

20.6 Another World is Possible: Globalization with a Human Face
20.7 Let Us Sum Up
20.8 Key Words
20.9 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises
20.10 References

20.0 OBJECTIVES
This unit discusses the theory and practice of human rights in the present era of
globalization: After going through this unit you will be able to:

• contextualize human rights in the era of globalization;

• relate human rights to the emergent neo-liberal models of political democracy
and market oriented development;
• assess the status of the three generation of human rights in the era of
globalization;
• appreciate Challenges of globalization in the realization of human rights in
an overarching sense; and
• look for an agenda of globalization of human rights.

20.1 INTRODUCTION
The phenomenon of globalization has attracted more significant global attention
than perhaps any other issue in recent memory. The fascination with the topic
has obviously not left out its connections to human rights. It is also clear that
globalization is no passing event. Also it is capable of any number of conflicting
and sometimes even contradictory interpretations. In general terms globalization
refers to a process by which the earth planet is considered to be one single unit or
a global village where social and economic interaction among people are guided
and conditioned accordingly. The world is supposed to be a global society with
58
global issues and problems which are to be tackled with global efforts and Human Rights in 21st
Century: Challenges of
cooperation. As a result the state is increasingly finding it difficult to control the Globalization
activities of its citizens. The concept and process of globalizations, especially its
economic content has been controversial not only in developing world but also
in developed nations. Economically the world is increasingly becoming one unit
and economic events in one country affect other places.

Economic globalization means that the national economics must lose their
autonomy and merge with the global economy which is based on open trade and
free market. For developing countries this has been termed as liberalization and
privatization. Liberalization demands the state to liberalize its economy i.e.
remove all the barriers and restrictions which were imposed so as to protect the
native industry. Privatization means that the public sector enterprises should be
removed from state control and become private enterprises.

There is a political aspect of globalization too. It is a forceful assertion ofliberal

values. It means defense of democracy and human rights. After the collapse of
Soviet Union and the establishment of democracy in earstwhile socialist states
democracy has become a globally accepted form of government. There is also a
socio-cultural aspect of globalization. The western society, which is essentially
open, permissive and market driven, is spreading globally. As such western music,
dress, language and culture are spreading globally. There however, are various
contradictions. Imposition of liberal and market economy and western values in
poor developing societies are causing various problems, putting pressures on
states and increasing the gap between poor and rich. They do effect the state's
capacities to protect human rights, especially economic, social and cultural and
individuals ability to exercise these rights. There thus are both positive and
negative effects of globalization as far as human rights are concerned.

20.2 GLOBALIZATION, DEMOCRACY AND

HUMAN RIGHTS
21 st century has witnessed the evolution of two concurring strands that spell out
new contexts to the understanding of the concept of human rights in a world that
has supposedly become one big global village. Post-Soviet world has been witness
to the celebration ofliberal democracy as the most desirable political institution .
.Newfound consensus has emerged in the form of the acceptance of the 'concept
of minimalist form of liberal democracy under the auspices of the global aid
industry. As a result, the recent decades have indeed been witness to the processes
of democratic transitions/transformations that have been taking place in the Asian,
African and Latin American societies and also in the post-communist societies
of Central and Eastern Europe. There has been a near universal acceptance of the
western arrangement of the politics and economy based on the neo-liberal ideas
of 'free competitive market society' and good governance. The institutions of
market economy and political democracy have become the buzzwords, as both
are considered virtue as well as necessity. The two Institutions have become an
integral part of the political conditionalities attached by the multilateral funding
agencies providing aid to the developing nations.

Quite naturally, then, the 'third wave of democracy' has been sweeping the 'global
village' (Samuel P Huntington,) Beginning with Central and Eastern Europe in
59
Human Rights oncerns the early 1980's in the aftermath of the collapse of communism-brought about
and Emcr~ing Trends
partly by popular movements demanding the internationally recognized human
rights, the 'third wave of democracy' moved to Asia and Latin Africa. The 'third
wave' gained momentum and is now sweeping Africa. Democratization of the
African countries has been hailed as the 'second wave' of liberation after
nationalism failed them leading to civil war and authoritarian regimes pretty
soon after the fir t flush of independence and democracy.

The democratic upsurge ha resulted into the sincere hope that the prospect for
the protection of human rights has become brighter. The liberal concepts of
democracy and human rights are being referred to in one breadth, with the
implication that they go hand in hand. Such a hope has been strengthened by a
supposedly 'near universal' acceptance ofthe liberal democracy as the best, indeed
the only legitimate form of government, and also the commonly shared perception
that liberal democracy and human rights are the two sides of the same coin. The
globalization ofthe state and the potential for the greater level of communication
facilitated by the rapid spread of information technology across the national
boundaries has further strengthened such fond hopes of a creation of a democratic
global civil society committed to human rights. For illustration, one can refer to
the coordinated demonstrations against the war on Iraq that enabled
demonstrations on 15 February 2003 in at least 600 cities around the world. The
information technology revolution has also led to an explosion of a transnational
memory culture within the contemporary international human rights movement
that insists on righting the wrongs committed in the past. One can refer in the
recent times to the Japanese apology for forcing the 'comfort women' into
prostitution during the Second World War or the Australian Prime Minister
apologizing for the violation of the human rights of the aboriginals by the white
settlers.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former United Nations Secretary General had argued
that 'human rights, equal rights and government under law are important attributes
of democracy'. He further said that human rights have now become 'a common
language of humanity'. There is much substance in the argument of Upendra
Baxi when he argues that in some ways, in the present era marked by 'end of
ideology', human right is increasingly emerging as 'the only universal ideology
in the making' . With the geographical boundaries breaking down and the elements
of justice and rights being inextricably articulated with the notion of global
citizenship in the modem democracies, it is being hoped that we have ushered in
a new era when the emancipatory potential of rights are being realized. It is also
hoped that the violation of human rights by the nation states in the name of
protecting the national sovereignty would finally come to an end. The voices
from the civil society have come up against the blatant denial of the democratic
rights even of the supposed militants who question the 'unity and integrity' of
the nation on the pretext of national interest and the rights of the innocent people
whom such militants target (refer Kashmir, Northeast in India, Chechnya in
Russia). The denial of human rights to the criminals, under trials, political
prisoners by the state is also being opposed. State's deployment of torture as an
instrument of control against the 'enemy ofthe state and society' no longer finds
favour with the masses.

60
20.2.1 Two Faces of Globalization Human Rights in 21"
Century: Challenges of
The decline of the nation state coinciding with the rise of civil society all over Globalization

the world propelled by globalization and the international human rights regime
have contributed to create operational and legal openings for the social action
groups to enter into international arenas, which were once the exclusive domain
of sovereign nation states. The civil society initiatives in the form of the social
action groups led new social movements taking up the trans-boundary issues
covering immigration, asylum, international women's agenda, indigenous model
of development and anti-globalization struggles has further brought optimism
about the future of human rights. The increasing popular appeal, and the legitimacy
ofthe human rights concerns both within the national and global regime has also
resulted in mushrooming of the Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) funded
by the global agencies concerned with human rights.

Thus if 20th century marked the fight against apartheid, gender discrimination,
colonialism and neo-colonialism; then 21 st century is being hailed as heralding
an era of human rights as the universal and inalienable character of human rights
are being actively propagated under the shadow of globalization and liberalization.
Human rights universalism is being understood in three ways. First, it refers to
the claims about the universal validity as well as moral justification for human
rights. Second, it describes the status of human rights in international law. Finally,
it refers to the generality of human rights for the human beings.

There is, however, a counter viewpoint that holds that the globalization drive
has caused serious harms to the human rights of the 'peoples' especially in the
'new' democracies, which remain underdeveloped and on the fringe of global
economy. Right to livelihood, humane conditions of work, living wage and other
rights guaranteed or promised to the subaltern classes have come increasingly
under threat as the market economy takes over. The critics point out that the
whole emphasis has been on the civil and political rights in legal terms under a
minimalist procedural form of democracy and in the process social and economic
rights that mark the substantive form of democracy has not received adequate
attention. The argument is that the free and fair elections, political participation,
rule of law, representative government, right to freedom of expression, peaceful
and periodic transfer of power, regime of rights and constitutional safeguards
are essential but not sufficient for the realization of democracy especially in an
increasingly unequal society. The now privileged procedural democracy, as
discussed above, favours neo-liberal market economy, which only privileges those
who have either capital or capacity relevant for the market. Consequently, the
marginalized groups who form majority in the developing countries get excluded
at a time when there is an emphasis on making the 'new democracies' more and
more inclusionary. There crops up a dissonance between the political democracy
and the market economy. Bereft of more meaningful alternatives, the substantive
issues related to the social and economic rights of the subalterns receive scant
attention. One of the biggest structural failures of the processes of globalization,
for instance, is that it has been unable to create enough jobs where people live. It
is natural then that the 'new democracies' have increasingly been witness to a
particular genre of struggle and movement groups, as the new social movements/
peoples movements who look for the alternative models of politics and economy.
The resurgence of feminism has generated claims for women's rights as human
rights, indigenous peoples' movements have generated claims for the indigenous
61
Human Rights Concerns peoples' rights and the green movements have· generated debates about
and Emerging Trends
environmental rights as human rights and the rights of the future generations.
They oppose the west-inspired mega development projects and also engage in
struggle for local democracy for the replacement of a global political economy
that privilege the privileged. They also strive to establish the local community
control over the economic and cultural resources through political activism (DL
Sheth)
,
It follows that globalization is a two-faced phenomena, and can be both enabling
and disabling to the advancement of human rights. While it is true that the
advancement of market economy serving the structural imperatives of global
capitalism in a manner detached from any equivalent spread of global political
accountability may be disabling, the spread of human rights ideology under the
agenda for democratization is certainly enabling (Darren 10' Byrne).
Globalization not only produces huge inequalities in terms of the economic and
political power within a national state but also at the global level that is evident
in the form of growing division between the countries of rich north and peripheral
south.

Check Your Progress 1

I) What has been the impact of the processes of globalization on the state of
human rights in the contemporary world?

2) What do you understand by the democratic transformation/transitions taking

place in the Post-Soviet world? To what extent they promote human rights?

3) Do you think that human rights and democracy share a symbiotic relationship
in the present globalizing world?

62
4) Write about the issues being taken up by the human rights movements in the Human Rights in 21st
Century: Challenges of
new millennium. Globalization

.......................................................................................................................

20.3 IDEA OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE ERA OF

GLOBALIZATON
New millennium, as discussed above, has been witness to a 'homogenizing'
world that has increasingly been under a 'single world order'. Naturally one
finds an attempt to create an 'overlapping consensus' on what we understand of
human rights both as an idea and in practice (John Rawls). The reference to the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights is made to emphasize that human rights
are universally applicable. The unity of human dignity and the inherent sacredness
of the human beings are being put forward to reaffirm the universal brotherhood
of the human beings. The universality is being regulated and effected by
underlining the significance of individual as the locus of rights. The new
millennium world is witness to an international human rights regime that is being
promoted by the UNO. You have read in the earlier units that the enactment of
the human rights are in the form of the 'First, Second and Third generation of
rights. These rights emanate from the International Bill of Human Rights
consisting of the human rights provisions of the UN Charter, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, the two International Covenants on Human Rights
namely the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights, and the Optional Protocols to the Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights.

The first generation rights were traditional civil and political rights based on the
principle of liberty and citizenship. The second generation of rights refers to the
social and economic rights. The first and second generation of rights essentially
referred to the rights/privileges of an 'abstracted individual' making civil and
political claims. The object of these human rights is to enhance the autonomy of
the individual through safeguarding the security, liberty and political and social
rights of persons.

The third generation of rights on the other hand asserts the primacy of the
'collective rights'. These set of rights that have increasingly come under focus in
a globalizing world that celebrates local/cultural, originally referred to the
'solidarity rights of communities, rather than individuals' that underlined the
right of the nation-states to have freedom from the colonial/neo-colonial bondage
and also to demand 'global redistribution of power and wealth' in a world that
was divided in the developed north and underdeveloped south. In a globalizing
world, they increasingly refer to the 'solidarity' claims ofth indigenous ethnic
groups/identity groups within a nation state for 'self-definition' or even 'self-
determination'. The UN 0 and its anci llary bodies have been making efforts to
63
Human Rights Concerns formalize the rights of the indigenous groups/identity groups as a part of the
and Emerging Trends
solidarity rights. The collective (cultural) rights are being referred to in the context
of the rights of the minorities who are defined in terms of their social, economic
and political power in relation to the dominant groups. As multi-culturalism
based on the recognition of the differences has come to be globally accepted, an
increasing number of identity groups define themselves as minority communities
or indigenous groups and demand their' collecti ve cultural rights'.

Check Your Progress 2

1) Write about the three generations of human rights. How would you prioritize
and why?

2) Discuss the' solidarity rights'.

3) What do you mean by collective cultural rights being claimed by the

communities?

20.4 GLOBALIZATION, GLOBAL SOCIETY AND

HUMAN RIGHTS
As has been mentioned earlier globalization of economy has been made possible
by improvement in transportation and spectacular advances in computing and
telecommunications technology. No doubt globalization is beneficial to all the
trading partners but it is more beneficial to some. It has also created a new system
of global inequality based on uneven deployment of industrial technologies. Such
inequalities have made regions, nations and regions within nations different and
unequal. One important aspect of global trade and economy has been liberalization
64 of economy and structural adjustments, particularly in developing countries.
20.4.1 Structural Adjustment Programmes Human Rights in 21"
Century: Challenges of
Structural adjustment goes beyond the simple imposition of a set of Globalization

macroeconomic policies at the domestic level. It represents a political project, a

conscious strategy of social transformation at the global level primarily to make
the world safe for transnational corporations. The most crucial impact of structural
adjustments has been on the role of the state in national development. As Robert
Cox suggested the state no longer primarily acts as a buffer· against the world
economy, but plays an integral role in facilitating globalization. This effects human
rights of persons in two ways one due to conditionalities imposed on indebted
developing countries and second by increase in the status of Multi National
companies.

According to U.N. Human Rights Commission independent Expert Ms. Funtu

Cheru because of conditionalities in indebted countries living standard for the
majority have suffered in the face of rising unemployment and mass poverty.
The economic, social and cultural rights of millions of poor people across the
third world have been systematically undermined as a result of neo-liberal
adjustment policies aimed at sustaining the servicing of debts. For the majority
of people in the debtor countries, economic recession means increasingly
inadequate diets, insufficient income to feed and educate children and mounting
susceptibility to disease. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF)
have induced, and some times forced through sanctions, the Third World
developing countries to change their planning and development policies, reduce
the role of government to allow market forces have greater freedom and promote
monetary tightening through structural adjustment policies.

The U.N. Human Rights Commission independent expert reports that while there
are significant gains to be derived from liberalization as a result of structural
adjustment programmes (SAP), such reforms do not provide the best outcome
for all. The experience in Africa and Latin America shows that structural
adjustment policies are not consistent with long-term development needs of
developing countries. The evidence challenge the assertion by the World Bank
and the IMF that SAPs alleviate poverty and strengthen democracy. Instead SAPs
have been guided by laissez-faire market principles that privilege efficiency,
productivity and groups engaged in export and international trade at the expense
of civil liberty and self-government. An increasing number of voices within Africa,
as well as many non-governmental groups and United Nations Organizations
such as UNICEF and the ILO, have been warning that the living conditions of
the poor are deteriorating to intolerable levels despite - and sometimes because
of - the structural adjustment programmes. Increasing malnutrition, falling school
enrolment and rising unemployment threaten the social fabric of adjusting
countries. All these mean that deprived masses cannot exercise their economic
and social rights.

20.4.2 Transnational Corporations and Human Rights

As has already been mentioned that one of the concerns of globalization has
been free trade and inflow of investment. This has allowed the entry of Multi-
National or Trans-National Corporations (TNCs) much easier in developing
countries. With states following World Bank, IMF and WTO guidelines, TNCs
have become quite powerful also. In legal terms Transnational Corporations are
entities with activities in several countries. As a result they are a cause of legal
65
Human Rights Concerns and jurisdictional conflicts and thus give rise to quite serious problems in the
and Emerging Trends
realization of individual and collective economic rights.

The adaption of the international legal order to th economic realities created by

trans-national corporations requires the harmonization of national and
international legal text. Containing a range of provisions dealing with various
kinds of problems, including the protection and promotion of human rights. From
the ways they work in global trade, TNCs have at least the following drawbacks
effecting the human rights.

i) Their technology is designed for world-wide profit maximization :

ii) They do not necessarily cater to the developmental needs of the developing
countries.

iii) Through their power and flexibility, TNCs can evade or undermine national
economic autonomy and control. Their activities may be inimical to the
national interest of particular countries.

iv) MNCs can have an unfavourable effect on balance of payments of a country.

By repatriating profits, they may deplete the foreign exchange resources of
a country. For instance, Coca Cola, until 1978, had remitted abroad nearly
Rs. 6 crores on an initial investment of Rs. 6.6. lakhs in India.

v) TNCs may destroy competition and acquire monopoly, laying waste hundreds
of thousand of workers in smaller industries.

vi) They may threaten the sovereignty of the nations in which they do business.

vii) They use highly skilled workers laying offunskilled and semi skilled workers
retarding the growth of employment.

vii i) They cause a rapid depletion of some of the non-renewable natural resources.

Hence, unrestricted entry of TNCs is seen with fear and suspicion in the
developing countries because of a bad track record. They have not fulfilled their
social responsibilities properly. In host countries they have not been fair to the
employees and consumer and neither have they shown respect for the community
and its values. These issues, however, were never considered important in world
trade. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan admitted recently that
"globalization is under intense pressure. And Business is in the line of fire, seen
by many as not doing enough in areas of environment, labour standards and
human rights".

Transnational Corporations enjoy immense economic power. Ofthe 100 biggest

concentrations of wealth in the world 51 per cent are owned by transnational
corporations and 49 per cent by states. Mitsubishi's turnover exceeds Indonesia's
gross national product (GNP), Ford's turnover exceeds South Africa's GNP, and
Royal Dutch Shell earns more than Norway. TNCs are very active in the most
dynamic areas of the economy, in particular telecommunications, transport,
banking insurance and the wholesale trade. They have a presence in the vital
sectors and are thus in a position to block any moves towards the respect and
protection of human rights.

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 Human Rights in 21 ,I

20.5 CRITIQUE OF DOMINANT HUMAN RIGH·.·S Century: Challenges of

Globalization
DISCOURSE: A VIEW FROM PERIPHERY
An attempt to present the human rights as being 'general' and 'universal' in
nature in the dominant discourse on human rights in a globalizing world by the
dominant nations has not gone unchallenged despite all the claims of' consensus' .
The critique has come in the form of cultural critique of the dominant notion of
human rights that are based on the western norms, idioms and values. It is being
argued that the only way to strengthen the human rights regime is to cash on the
already existing legal universalism and widespread appeal and acceptance of
human rights around the globalizing world by building a cross-cultural political
consensus through open, inclusive and respectful dialogue aimed at genuine
understanding motivated by a commitment to the equal freedom and dignity of
all. In the absence of such efforts on the part of the advanced capitalist nations,
the concept of human rights 'universal ism' is being critiqued under the banner
of 'relativism' in the form of the claims of the 'local' and 'particular' nations/
communities/ groups as there has been attempts to cohere the local values and
claims within an international human rights regime

At the international level as one refers to the growing 'clash of civilization' in

the post September 11 world, there has been a renewed assertion of a separate
'Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights' based on Islamic values. The
East Asian challenge for the privileged notion of human rights come in the form
of the 'Asian Charter of Human Rights' that are purportedly based on Asian
values. Referring to the significance of Asian values in the understanding of the
notion of human rights, the Bangkok declaration in 1993 saw the Asia-Pacific
governments denouncing the use of human rights as an instrument of political
pressure by the western countries. The African countries have their own regional
human rights system for Africa based on the 'African Charter of Human And
Peoples Rights' adopted by the Organization of African Unity (now the African
Union) that entered in to force in 1986 and has been ratified by all 53 African
states since 1995. The Asian and African governments supportive of the idea of
cultural relativism express a certain discomfort with the idea of the 'autonomous
self' in human rights discourse, a self who is separate from the shared values of
the community and the family. They argue that it is this individual centric western
liberal philosophy that has led to privileging individual and political rights over
social and economic rights in the human rights discourse.

In the contemporary world, it is being argued that attempt to legitimate a set of

universal rights and enforce them through UN conventions by the rich and
powerful nations of the west should be viewed as a threat to a community/nation's
claim to autonomy, self-determination and right to decide upon its own particular
political, economic and social order' .The economic imperatives of these rich
and powerful nations which are evident in their formulations on child labour and
intellectual property rights which are held against the underdeveloped nations
with labour-intensive and technology deficit economies. It is not only the
economic imperatives but also the foreign policy considerations of rich and
powerful nations are in the play as human rights are taken up by the international
agencies on their behalf. Same holds true for the international human rights groups
who act as pressure groups and seeks to thwart the 'new democracies' from
making certain policy choices related to the land use, water management, labour
67
Human Rights Concerns legislations, exports and so on and so forth all in the name of universalizing the
and Emerging Trends
practice of human rights. The selection of issues by them like child labour and
the focus on particular countries often betrays their real agenda. At the same
time their rather muted response to the violation of human rights by the
transnational corporations (refer Union Carbide in Bhopal) brings a question
mark about their objectivity. Moreover, the focus on selective issues mostly related
to the first generation of political rights often deviates attention from the
substantive issues of removing poverty, ensuring social justice and fulfillment
of basic human needs that afflict the peripheral nation-states (DL Sheth). The
argument goes that the human rights have become the moral language of
globalization that is being used to bring the errant peripheral nations into the
'modem' global economic framework. Human rights, the critics argue, smacks
of neo-colonialism and is uncritically western centric.

In a culturally diverse' and economically unequal world divided in to core and

peripheral countries, it is being argued that human rights 'evolve in specific
contexts and any universalization is bound to reflect the interests of dominant
groups rather than marginal ones' .Thus the view emerging from the 'third world'
is to treat with caution the oft-repeated claim that human rights and democracy
share a symbiotic relationship. It is true that all theories of democracy include a
concern for rights; historically such rights were never extended to all individuals/
communities, more so now under a neo-liberal order of society and economy. As
discussed above in an increasingly liberalizing, privatizing and globalizing world,
the marginal individuals/groups are those who neither have capacity, capital and
are as such not friendly to the market driven economy based on the principles of
demand, supply and maximization of profit in a consumerist society. Not only
the social and economic rights but even the civil and political rights of these
marginalized individuals/groups are neither being articulated nor being protested
effectively.

20.6 ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE:

GLOBALIZATION WITH A HUMAN F'ACE
When the rich and powerful countries of the north stress upon the globalization
of values and benefits, there is also need that they, at the same time, also
acknowledge and pursue globalization of equal opportunities and representation.
Globalization of capital in the form of the market economy should cohere with
globalization of social and economic justice. In the present unipolar world
dominated by USA, it is imperative that the UNO resurrect itself in order to
bring the nation-states of north and south closer to one another in a joint endeavour
to promote the' good governance and respect for human rights, sharing of benefits
of globalization, respect for the cultural and religious diversity, involvement of
other, non-state or non-governmental actors, such as civil societies, non-
governmental organizations, the private sector: in brief-all stakeholders and
therefore every citizen'( Rhona KM Smith and Christien van den Anker). In this
effort the Millennium Declaration Goals set by the UN and the world community
at large become instructive which make an attempt to underline the substantive
problems that confront the majority of the world population. These include, among
others, the eradication of poverty, achieving universal primary education and
gender equality. The most ambitious goal of the millennium summit was to halve
the number of people living below the poverty line by 2015. If and when achieved,
68
it would go a long way in creating a conducive environment for the respect for Human Rights in 21st
Century: Challenges of
the human rights in general. Globalization

Check Your Progress 3

1) Write about the critique of the idea of human rights universalism.

2) Do you think that globalization has been disabling as far as human rights
are concerned due to its fallout in political and economic terms?

3) Do you think that human rights issue has become an instrument in the
hands of the rich and powerful nations of the north?

4) Write about the Millennium Declaration Goals announced by the UNO.

20.7 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we have read that in the age of globalization new economic and
political policies and environment are effecting human rights both in positive
and negative ways. Emphasis on democracy and coming closer of the world are
putting pressures on countries to respect human rights. At the same time economic
69
Human Rights Concerns reforms, including liberalization and privatization are increasing the gaps between
and Emerging Trends
privileged arid under privileged. Increasing role and powers of TNCs are also
responsible for effecting the economic rights of works and others.

There is a critical need to emphasize that hu~an rights or their violation are not
to be understood in a narrow sense. Human rights, as discussed above, include
not only the civil and political rights but also the economic, social and cultural
rights. Thus there is a need to collectively strengthen UN human rights agenda
for the new millennium that includes the right to adequate nourishment, the
right to shelter, the right to live free from poverty, the right to health and life, the
right to education, to development, to equal treatment irrespective of the
nationality, race or gender and the right to raise voice against authoritarianism.
There is also need to bridge the gap between the legal equality contained in the
institution of citizenship and the normative project of substantive equality in the
emerging world order that is witness to growing inequality. The remedy lies in
the enhanced inclusion for those who lack power are disadvantaged, outsiders,
and discriminated minorities. Finally, the globalization of the ideology of human
rights would be enabling only ifit emanates from the 'globalization from below'.

20.8 KEY WORDS

Democratic Transitions/ the shi ft of a national state from authoritarian
Transformation regime to democratic regime.

Third World Asian, African and Latin American Countries.

M ulticulturalism Recognition and accommodation of cultural
differences. As a value it envisions a society
in which different communities forge a
common identity while retaining their
cultural provenance.

Indigenous Peoples Aboriginals/original inhabitants.

Market Economy An open economy driven by the ma.rket laws
of demand, supply and profit that coexist with
a non-interfering state.

Minimalist N01ion of Procedural/formal form of democracy that

Democracy pri vi leges the legal-institutional and
representative aspect of democracy as
opposed to the informal/substantive notion
of democracy that takes up the socia.l and
economic issues.
Apartheid Racial discrimination

20.9 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

EXERCISES
Check Your Progress 1

1) Emphasis on the universal and general nature of human rights. Decline of

the nation state and emergence of the civil society. International human
rights regime.
70
2) Transition from authoritarian regime to democratic regime. Emphasis on Human Rights in 21"
Century: Challenges of
the procedural/formal form of democracy that emphasizes on political rights. Globalization

3) Democracy underlines the need to protect the human rights in an overarching

sense. Social and economic agenda of democracy.

4) Issues that confront the new millennium western world like that of gender,
environment, child and women rights, sexually deviant groups, animal rights
whereas in the developing world there is still emphasis on social and
economic rights of the marginaljzed who are victims of dominant
developmental agenda.

Check Your Progress 2

1) Political and civil rights, social, economic and cultural rights; and the rights
of the minorities/marginalized groups. The two International Covenants and
the protocols. Emphasis differs in the countries of north and south.

2) Claims ofthe indigenous ethnic groups/identity groups within a nation state

for 'self-definition' or even 'self-determination'.

3) Rights of the minorities who are defined in terms of their social, economic
and political power in relation to the dominant groups.

Check Your Progress 3

1) Universal affirmation that human rights should not been distinguished on
the basis of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions,
property, birth, status or national origin. Intrinsic to human beings.

2) Dominant concerns of the rich and powerful nations become the dominant
concerns of the international rights regime.

3) Yes, the human rights issues are some times selectively raised in accordance
with the political and economic agenda of the western countries' interests
and values.

4) Eradication of poverty, achieving universal primary education and gender

equality.

20.8 REFERENCES
1) Ashwani K. Ray, "Human Rights Movement in India: A Historical
Perspective: Economic and Political Weekly, August 9,2003.

2) D.L. Sheth, "Globalization and the Grassroots Movements" Seminar 473

January 1999.

3) Darren Jo Byrne, Human Rights: An introduction, Delhi Pearson Education,

2003.

4) International Institute of Human Rights, Collection of Lectures, Texts and

Summaries, Strasbourg: IIHR Press" 1998

5) M. Evons and. R. Murray. The African Charter on Human and People s

Rights: The System in Practice Cambridge University Press, 2002.

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Human Rights Concerns 6) Rajesh Oev, "Human Rights Relativism and Minorities in North East India:
and Emerging Trends
Economic and Political weekly, October 23, 2004.

7) Rhona K.M. Smith and Christen van den Anker, Human Rights London:
Hodder Arnold 2005.

8) Veena Das, "Cultural Rights and Definition of Community" in O.

Mendelshon and Upendra Baxi (Eds.) The Rights 0/ Subordinated People,
Delhi, Oxford University Press, 1996.

9) Upendra Baxi, The Future ofHuman Rights, Oxford University Press, 2002.

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