of all members of the human family and constitutes an obligation for the members of the international community”. The Conference affirmed its faith in the principles set forth in the Declaration, and urged all peoples and governments “to dedicate themselves to those principles and to redouble their efforts to provide for all human beings a life consonant with freedom and dignity and conducive to physical, mental, social and spiritual welfare”.
In more recent years there has been a growing tendency for United Nations organs, in their resolutions and decisions on human rights matters, to refer not only to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also to other parts of the International Bill of Human Rights: the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This is the case, for example, in resolutions adopted in 1972 on the employment of women in senior and other professional positions by the secretari ats of or ganizations of the United Nations System, in 1973 on the education and responsibilities of youth, in the Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children, proclaimed in 1974; and in the Declaration on the Use of Scientific and Technological Progress i n the Interests of Peace and for the Benefit of Manki nd, prom ulgated in 1975.
their implementation. In addition, many of the principles set out in the Declaration have been elaborated and clarified in multilateral conventions which, citing the Declaration as their inspiration, deal with one or more particular aspects of human rights. For example, the right to equality and non-discrimination on the ground of race is ensured by the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, based on article 2 of the Declaration; which the right to be free from slavery and servitude is ensured by the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices similar to Slavery, based o n article 4.
Furthermore, regional conventions have been prepared to promote and protect the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by all individuals living in particular parts of the world. The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, signed at Rome on 4 November 1950, is such an instrument. It refers to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the opening paragraph of its preambl e and sets out in its fourth preambular paragrap h the resolution of
“the Governments of European countries which are like-minded and have a common heritage of political traditions, ideas, freedom and the rule of law to take the first steps for the collective enforcement of certain of the rights stated in the Universal Declaration”. It contains detailed provisions concerning most of the civil and political rights set out in the Declaration as well as provisions establishing, “to ensure the observance of the engagements undertaken by the High Contracting Parties”, a European Commission on Human Rights and a European Co urt of Human Rights.
Another such instrument is the American Convention of Human Rights, signed at the Inter-American specialized Conference on Human Rights at
San Jose, Costa Rica, on 22 November 1969. the Convention reiterates the General Assembl y’s view that, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ideal of free men enjoying freedom from fear and want can be achieved only if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his economic, social and cultural rights as well as his civil and political rights; and sets out detailed provisions concerning all those rights and the means of guaranteeing their enjoyment by the peoples of the American continent. It recognizes two regional organs as being compete nt to deal with matters relating to the fulfillment of the commitments undertaken by the States Parties: the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
Several instruments applying to particular countries or territories, or to a region, also stem from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For example, the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, held at Helsinki in 1975, provides that “in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the participating States will act in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. Other examples include the Trusteeship Agreeme nt with Italy concerni ng Somaliland under Italian Administration of 1950, the Peace Treaty with Japan of 1951, The Special Statute Concerning Trieste of 1954 and the Charter of the Organization of African Unity of 1963.
4.0 CONCLUSION
In this unit, we have considered the concern of the U.N. with human rights and fundamental freedoms. The discovered that the rights and freedoms set out in the international covenants on Human Rights are not absolute and are in each case subject to limitations. The covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in particular, defines that legitimate restrictions on the rights which it sets forth by limiting them to those which are provided by law, are necessary to project national security, public order, public health or moral s, or the ri ghts and freedoms of ot hers.
5.0 SUMMARY
Our focused in this unit was to look at the various clauses in the U.N.
Charter, the importance and influence of the U.N Declaration and its relationship with other International Conventions.
6.0 TUTOR-MARKET ASSIGNMEN TS
Article 3 of the U.N. Charter is in pari material with section 33 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Discuss.