Many scholars emphasize that human rights face a major challenge: the gradual erosion and end of human rights. This erosion has led to a rethinking of the balance between security and rights and freedoms, and raised concerns about how reliable human rights are in the face of changing political dynamics. Minority and marginalized groups suffer from discrimination and systematic persecution, while the rise of control technologies and authoritarian regimes exacerbate these challenges.
The post-9/11 era was thought to be the "end of human rights" as debates over the legitimacy of measures such as torture were driven by security needs. However, technological developments and historical trends suggest otherwise. Human rights have experienced (i) critical junctures through political decisions, and (ii) incremental changes through judicial protections and activism by civil society organizations, which both lead to empower the understanding and application of human rights.
The debate about the "end of human rights" continues but is essentially misleading. However, the changes that have occurred in the history of human rights demonstrate consistent and continuous progress, driven by political and judicial decisions.
- Published in
- Law & Justice Review, Year 15, Issue 28
- Date
- July 2024
- pp.
- 77–94
- Language
- English