Human Rights at the UN: The Political History of Universal Justice

by Roger Normand, Sarah Zaidi

Human rights activists Roger Normand and Sarah Zaidi provide a broad political history of the emergence and development of the human rights movement in the 20th century through the crucible of the United Nations, focusing on the hopes and expectations, concrete power struggles, national rivalries, and bureaucratic politics that molded the international system of human rights law. The book emphasizes the period before and after the creation of the UN, when human rights ideas and proposals were shaped and transformed by the hard-edged realities of power politics and bureaucratic imperatives. It also analyzes the expansion of the human rights framework in response to demands for equitable development after decolonization and organized efforts by women, minorities, and other disadvantaged groups to secure international recognition of their rights.

Genres: Nonfiction, Law

486 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Celine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book seemed extremely cynical to me. I understand the point of the book, which is to highlight the historical context of how the UNDHR came into existence, but at the same time that they decry the historical formation of the United Nations they also choose to intentionally ignore the role of regional HR organizations and the evolution of rights that has occurred over the years. Overall I thought it was enlightening, but something much less "throw out the baby with the bathwater" would have been more my style.