From concept to convention and human rights law evolves

The promotion and protection of human rights has been a major preoccupation for the United Nations since 1945, when the Organization's founding nations resolved that the horrors of The Second World War should never be allowed to recur. Respect for human rights and human dignity "is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world", the General Assembly declared three years later in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human rights are both inspirational and practical. Human rights principles hold up the vision of a free, just, and peaceful world and set minimum standards for how individuals and institutions everywhere should treat people. The present paper intends to seek a need on the part of covenants that deeply understand and master the modus operandi of national, regional and international human rights institutions and aims at facilitating such a demanding endeavour. Finally, the paper discusses about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the promises of justice, dignity and human rights for all that the Declaration contains have yet to be fully met, understanding of and access to the United Nations human rights system. It is a modest but significant resource in our joint endeavour to make human rights, dignity and equality a universal reality.