Die Afrikaanse Protestantse Akademie Biblioteek

Including Bibliography

Inleiding -- Menseregte in die internasionale arena -- Klemverskuiwing en veranderde prioriteite -- Die universele verklaring van menseregte -- Verdere uitbouing van menseregte deur middel van bindende aktes -- Menseregte as selfbeskikking en dekolonisasie -- Mensregte en rassediskriminasie -- Samevatting en Evaluering -- Handves van die verenigde nasies -- Universele verklaring van menseregte -- Bibliografie

The United Nations during its more than four decades of involvement with human rights issues, certainly has made lasting contributions in some respects, but failed dismally in others. The organisation has had some success in merging different and diverging human rights traditions into one document, the Universal declaration of Human Rights, "as a common standard of achievement." The differences between the two traditions -- the Western with its emphasis on economic, social and cultural rights and the states (governments) responsibility in safeguarding these rights -- remains, however, quite distinct to this day. During the ideological confrontation and the Cold War of the fifties and sixties the human rights concept merely became a hollow propaganda slogan from time to time. The USSR for instance under the human rights banner accused the European colonial powers of the enslavement and exploitation of their colonial sugbjects....