ABSTRACT
The human rights project, a great societal endeavour, has been a work in progress for two to three centuries nourished by foundational precepts of philosophy, political theory, and ecclesiastical thought of more than two millennia. From the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the concepts and trends that preceded and underpinned that instrument, the body of international human rights law is now both vast and complex. International human rights law is now more encompassing than was expected or even conceived in the Charter and Universal Declaration. Its growth has largely obviated for example the distinction between nationals and non-nationals within the jurisdiction of the state, thereby somewhat eclipsing other areas of law. Human rights have also had to coevolve with changes in social concepts and values. The development and differentiation of sex and gender identity in the social sciences and everyday life has challenged international human rights law.
