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Basic Principles of International Human Rights

Learn about the core characteristics of human rights and how they shape international law.

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I.               The Origin of Human Rights Law

Human rights is a unique area of international law that protects a country’s citizens from their own government. Historically, the absolute sovereignty of a state meant that it was free to treat its own citizens however it chose, without interference from other nations. Over time, the prevalence of this view faded. It’s a danger clearly demonstrated by the Holocaust.

In 1948,...