ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the human rights claims of stateless and displaced persons and how these may be fulfilled on Charles Beitz's two-level model of human rights. It provides a brief discussion of statelessness and provides a short overview of statelessness in contemporary global politics. Contemporary efforts to combat statelessness turn on the assignment of an effective nationality, not only in crisis situations such as that currently being experienced in Europe, but also in formally coordinated efforts by bodies like the United Nations. The chapter outlines Beitz's two-level model of human rights, drawing particular attention to the role of the international community as a guarantor of human rights for those whose claims cannot be effectively fulfilled by states. It concludes that Beitz's model is a progression on orthodox conceptions of human rights because it allows human rights discourse to be practically informed without losing its dynamic and aspirational nature.
