Human Rights in Times of Global Inequalities: A View from Slovakia

Abstract

The Chapter deals with universalism of human rights from the perspective of law as inscribed in the international human rights documents, and universalism from the perspective of daily experience of millions of our fellow-humans living in deprivation of rights. It is argued that despite their positive and indispensable role, the human rights conventions, monitoring systems and even enforcement mechanisms of international human rights judicial and quasi-judicial bodies are not by themselves sufficient to secure universal enjoyment of human rights of all. Coming from standpoint that human rights do not operate in vacuum, it seems that the cosmopolitan call for systemic change of the international rules, structures and modes of functioning – often upholding and promoting unequal distribution of power, is one of the ways forward. Having to fulfil the obligations of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as global social contract guaranteeing all rights for all children, even the normative international human rights text reminds us that the debate on the universalism of rights shall shift towards the one of how to re-think and re-organise the system of international law and order to secure true enjoyment of rights by all members of our human family on a daily basis, throughout life.