Emerging Powers and Human Rights

Employing the politics of solidarity against the rise of populism

With the world facing increasing division and hatred, the human rights community must face this lack of compassion with solidarity.

Twilight or dark glasses? A reply to Eric Posner

Eric Posner argues that the proliferation of human rights norms is essentially useless, but his argument ignores key evidence to the contrary.

The twilight of human rights law

The international human rights regime is too expansive in scope and feeble in enforcement to have any real impact; good government can’t be reduced to a set of ...

Yes, economic and social rights really are human rights

The argument that socio-economic rights are not “real” human rights is far too simplistic. While the phrase “progressive realization” gives many governments an ...

Does social justice work against human rights?

Social and economic rights are laudable goals, but qualifying them as “rights” may actually do more harm than good.

Beyond the law - towards more effective strategies for protecting human rights

Can we decolonise human rights?

"Who defines the concept of human rights?" Stephen Hopgood asks. The answer will come from a new North-South dialogue building on the foundations of the dominant ...

Misunderstanding the mass politics of the rights mission

The problem with Aryeh Neier’s argument is that, historically, there has been no way to separate efforts to promote general human rights from rising groups’ political ...

It begins and ends with power

The author acknowledges his supporters, but he answers his critics. It is political leverage, not human rights, that make things happen. The wealthy and influential ...

Against reductionist views of human rights

César Rodríguez-Garavito responds to Stephen Hopgood and Aryeh Neier, criticising both sides of the debate for an all too simplistic view of the actors, the content ...

Human rights are also about social justice

Drawing on the central practices and aims of a traditional human rights organization as described by Aryeh Neier in his account of Human Rights Watch, let me respond, ...

Misunderstanding our mission

The founder of Human Rights Watch tells Stephen Hopgood and James Ron that this organisation is globalizing itself; though it has a long way to go, over time it ...

Human rights and social justice: the in(di)visible link

The distinction that Aryeh Neier draws between human rights and social justice is premised on a limited notion of what constitutes “power”, argue Ignacio Saiz and ...

New powers won’t play by old rules

Expecting new global powers to promote human rights abroad via the United Nations assumes that they will play by the old rules and - if such pressure is to be effective ...

Encouraging stronger engagement by emerging powers on human rights

Resentment of the west is making emerging powers hold back when they could be using their strengths and experiences to challenge the world’s abusive regimes.

Human rights in the vernacular

The road to greater ownership of human rights by emerging powers is a bumpy one. But it will lead to a more real, and less utopian approach.

Human rights: past their sell-by date

It is activists, not states who will make a difference in future. But western-led rights organizations may have seen their day.

The struggle for a truly grassroots human rights movement

Using cutting-edge human rights perception polls, the authors explore links between social class and domestic human rights movements in Mexico, Colombia, Morocco, ...

Challenges and opportunities in a changing world

Emerging powers are starting to wield some clout on global rights but they need to do much more says Amnesty International’s Secretary General.