ISAA Conference 2018 

The Declaration of Human Rights – 70 Years On

National Library 11-12 October

This year’s conference will have as its theme The Universal Declaration of Human Rights - 70 Years On.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights celebrated its 70thanniversary this year. Australia played a significant role in drafting this document, especially through the efforts of Dr. Herbert Vere Evatt. Robertson (2008) argues that ‘Australia’s greatest achievement was to ensure in the declaration the inclusion of social and economic rights’. Since 1948 the international human rights system has matured substantially, producing a raft of conventions and protocols to protect specific types of rights and giving rise to regional human rights regimes in Africa and Europe for example. These systems entrench respect for ‘the sovereignty of each person’ (Fleiner 1999) and are a major product of Enlightenment thinking. However, this has led to the criticism that the Declaration and instruments flowing from it are based in individualistic Western culture. 

Despite all the achievements that have flowed on from the Declaration, there have been many pressures against implementing some of these rights even where a country has signed the relevant conventions. These pressures include the break-up of the bi-polar international power blocs; the rise of civil wars which have led to disrespect of human rights, frequently based on individuals’ group identities; and a large increase in involuntary population movements. For example, Australia has implemented policies aimed at stemming the flow of ‘illegal immigrants’/asylum seekers which are arguably in breach of both the Refugee Convention and the Torture Convention. Australia is also criticised for its Intervention policy for Indigenous peoples in the Northern Territory (Northern Territory National Emergency Response).

Papers dealing with factors leading up to the Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent  human rights developments that have followed from it are welcome.

N.B. Submissions are not accepted from the same person two years in a row unless they are extremely pertinent to the conference theme.