Power in International Human Rights

Abstract

There are immediate difficulties presented by human rights internationally, such as how to conceptualize and enforce them. Upon both a conceptual analysis of human rights and a review of their usage in practical application, the noble picture painted by human rights is unfortunately sullied. By using a three-dimensional view of power, I argue that the very concept of human rights is warped by power relations and ultimately reflective of the imbalances between nations. Furthermore, I reveal a distinction between the influence of political interests and of business interests in the application of human rights. Ultimately, even human rights, a concept that is designed to be equal, all too often becomes a tool to produce inequalities and domination.