Are Human Rights Universal

One would like to think that human rights are universal, however, after our discussions in class, it became rather evident that it is difficult to get a consensus on even the most basic of issues. We all made distinctions and held different opinions. How then are nations to agree on universal human rights which would relate to all cultures? The topic of child labor is a human right which again reaches both ends of the spectrum and reaching a consensus proves difficult. For example, a child who works on his family’s farm after school is not analogous to a child chained to a rug loom for 14 hours.

There was an interesting article in the Houston Journal of International Law dated September 22, 2004, which discussed the failure of one-size-fits all child labor laws and reviewed the positions of three scholars. The first by Kristen Weldon concluded that "child labor is deplorable no matter what the situation". The second by Claudia Brewster felt that US foreign aid should be withheld from all countries that do not adopt internationally recognized child labor laws. The third scholar, Anjli Garg, argued that the US must take more forceful action in combating transnational violations of children’s labor rights. I would agree with all three positions, however, I also take note that the circumstances in individual countries are exceedingly varied. I believe poverty is the main reason for child labor and until the underlying economic issues leading to the necessity of child labor are addressed, universal implementation of the child labor laws will not be attainable.

The article made another very strong point which I wanted to reiterate:
"Declarations of human rights are often a powerful stimulus in focusing attention on severe human problems. But, such declarations' attempts to impose a strict, one-size-fits-all moral regulatory structure, absent an analysis of the underlying national, economic, cultural, and historical factors that might affect the efficacy of such a structure, constitutes an abdication of responsible policy-making."