Human rights and social responsibility: what human rights are, the key declarations and laws that protect them, and how rights are balanced by responsibilities to others.

What this dot point is asking

This dot point asks you to explain what human rights are, to name the main declarations and laws that protect them, and to understand that rights are balanced by social responsibilities to other people and to the community. The marked skill is defining rights accurately, recognising the key documents, and explaining the principle that rights and responsibilities go together.

What human rights are

The idea behind human rights is that there are certain protections every person is entitled to, which governments and others should not violate. Knowing a few clear examples lets you support any answer.

The documents that protect human rights

You should be able to name the main instruments and what each is.

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Adopted by the United Nations in 1948 after the Second World War, it sets out a shared list of rights belonging to all people. It is a declaration of principles rather than an enforceable law, but it is the foundation for later treaties.
• The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). A treaty among European states that turns many of these rights into legally binding protections, enforced through the European Court of Human Rights.
• The Human Rights Act. UK law that brings Convention rights into the domestic courts, so people can rely on those rights in UK and Northern Ireland courts.

Naming the document and saying briefly what it does is enough; do not confuse a declaration of principles with an enforceable law.

Rights are balanced by responsibilities

Human rights do not stand alone. Social responsibility is the duty each person has to act in ways that respect the rights and wellbeing of others and the community. The central principle is that one person's rights must not destroy another's. If everyone claimed rights without limit, rights would clash and break down, so most rights carry a matching responsibility.

For example, the right to freedom of expression carries a responsibility not to spread hatred or lies that harm others. The right to live in a safe community carries a responsibility to obey the law and respect other people's property. Rights and responsibilities are two sides of the same coin.

Why responsibility matters for citizenship

A society of rights without responsibilities could not function, because rights would constantly conflict. Social responsibility is what allows everyone's rights to be respected at the same time. This is why active citizenship is not only about claiming what you are owed but about meeting your duties to others, from voting and obeying the law to looking out for neighbours and contributing to the community.

Try this

Q1. What are human rights? [2 marks]

• Cue. Basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person because they are human; universal and not normally able to be taken away.

Q2. Name two documents that protect human rights. [2 marks]

• Cue. Any two of: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Human Rights Act.

Q3. Give one right and the responsibility that goes with it. [2 marks]

• Cue. For example, freedom of expression with the responsibility not to spread hatred or lies that harm others.