Russia’s Approach to the Universality of Human Rights

Abstract

The Chapter opens with emphasis that Russia believes fundamental rights to be universal, as recognized in the international law instruments, and takes a similar approach as to the human rights protection issues as the vast majority of human rights protection issues. It goes on to examine a number of issues and problem areas closely tied with the concept of universality of human rights in order to give an overview of important components of Russia’s approach thereto. These issues include universal nature of fundamental rights, evolution of rights and their interpretation in the light of changing conditions of life and obligations of the states – concepts of positive and negative obligations, correlation between human rights and values. It explains Russia’s approach to humanitarian intervention, its understanding of the “double standards” notion and discusses a myth of conflict of values between Russia and the West.