ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the origins and evolution of international human rights law. It examines the evolution of the concept of human rights throughout modern history, and the new mechanisms that have been introduced to cement their evolution. The Universal Declaration built on the French and American Declarations and the liberal traditions of Western democracies such as Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights, became the catalyst for the internationalisation of the human rights agenda. The Universal Declaration was the first international instrument to grant and guarantee equal rights to all men and women regardless of their colour, creed, social and economic status, origin, nationality, etc. The Universal Declaration was regarded to be a standard-setting document for the world rather than a legally binding document. The intention at the time of drafting the Universal Declaration had been to create a legally binding document containing core rights and freedoms as part of an International Bill of Rights.
