Discuss the issue of human rights laws at the international level. How, and why, has human rights law developed? What types of rights would you add to this legal body in the twenty-first century, and why?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The ideal answer should include:
1. Define human rights law.
2. Explain the intersection of human rights law and the international system.
3. Analyze how and why human rights law developed, taking into consideration the complications sovereignty creates for enforcement, insofar as it entails interference by one state in another's internal affairs.
4. Discuss what types of rights and/or protections might be added to human rights law in the twenty-first century, taking into account recent history and historical precedence, such as "enemy combatants" and the complicated distinction between civilian and combatant brought about by contemporary conflicts. Private military forces may also be taken into consideration, given their expanding role in contemporary military actions. Further, as food and water scarcity become more widespread, human rights issues around those problems will certainly become more prominent in the twenty-first century.
5. Provide a concise summary and effective conclusion.