The concept of terrorism and political terrorism has its roots in the French revolution, which began in the late 1780s. During this time, terror was used as a means to maintain power, with authorities mercilessly dealing with perceived enemies of the revolution. This marked the beginning of a long history of human rights abuses, which would later lead to the establishment of the United Nations human rights regime.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the General Assembly in 1948, acknowledges that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. These rights are interdependent, interrelated, indivisible, and universal, and include basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death. The declaration was drafted by Rene Cassin, one of its principal drafters, who identified the four pillars of human rights as dignity, liberty, equality, and brotherhood.
The four pillars of human rights, as identified by Rene Cassin, are fundamental to understanding the concept of human rights. The first pillar, human dignity, is shared by all individuals regardless of their religion, creed, ethnicity, or sex. The second pillar, liberty, invokes the first generation of civil liberties and other liberal rights fought for during the Enlightenment. The third pillar, equality, addresses the second generation of rights related to political, social, and economic equity.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966, stresses that the ideal of free human beings enjoying civil and political freedom and freedom from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy their civil and political rights, as well as their economic, social, and cultural rights. This covenant, along with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, forms the basis of international human rights law.
The prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is a fundamental aspect of human rights law. Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from being subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment all express this principle. The United Nations also introduced the Convention Against Torture (CAT) in 1984 to define and prevent torture.
The Convention Against Torture defines torture as any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for purposes such as obtaining information or a confession, punishing them for an act they or a third person has committed, or intimidating or coercing them or a third person. The convention urges member states to take effective legislative, administrative, judicial, and other measures for the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Under international human rights law, certain rights are non-derogable, meaning they cannot be suspended under any circumstances. These rights include the right to life, freedom from torture, freedom from slavery, unlawful arrest and detention, equal recognition everywhere before the law, and freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. These fundamental rights are based on values like dignity, fairness, equality, respect, and independence, and are protected by national and international laws.
Key points
- The concept of terrorism and political terrorism originated in the French revolution.
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights form the basis of international human rights law.
- Certain human rights, such as the right to life and freedom from torture, are non-derogable and cannot be suspended under any circumstances.
