Maulion, Jan Aron H.

CDI 106
BSC 4104
Assignment
1. Define Human Rights
 Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every
person in the world, from birth until death. They apply regardless of where
you are from, what you believe or how you choose to live your life. They
can never be taken away, although they can sometimes be restricted – for
example if a person breaks the law, or in the interests of national security.
These basic rights are based on shared values like dignity, fairness,
equality, respect and independence.
2. Define International Humanitarian Law
 International humanitarian law (IHL), also referred to as the laws of armed
conflict, is the law that regulates the conduct of war (jus in bello). It is a
branch of international law that seeks to limit the effects of armed conflict
by protecting persons who are not participating in hostilities and by
restricting and regulating the means and methods of warfare available to
combatants.
3. What is the difference between the HR and IHL.
 The first thing that is noticed when reading human rights treaties is that
they are arranged in a series of assertions, each assertion setting forth a
right that all individuals have by virtue of the fact that they are human.
Thus the law concentrates on the value of the persons themselves, who
have the right to expect the benefit of certain freedoms and forms of
protection. As such we immediately see a difference in the manner in
which humanitarian law and human rights treaties are worded. The former
indicates how a party to a conflict is to behave in relation to people at its
mercy, whereas human rights law concentrates on the rights of the
recipients of a certain treatment.
4. What are the significance of RH and IHL (local and international perspectives)
 Human rights reflect shared values and apply to every human being
regardless of the specific laws that their country may hold. Such values
also apply to human beings of any race, religion or any other identity
marker.

 Human rights are a necessary means of protection against oppressors

and those who would seek to do us harm. In the case of poor treatment,
they allow us to speak up and advocate for ourselves and others through
the legal system.
 IHL consists of rules for armed conflict intended to limit the impacts of
violence, whether internal or between states. It protects civilians and those
not or no longer involved in the fighting, including medical and religious
personnel, wounded combatants, civilian internees and prisoners of war.

 International humanitarian law forbids intentional attacks on civilians.

Targeting them or critical civilian infrastructure–such as hospitals–could
constitute a war crime. It also prohibits attacks on military objectives that
do not take adequate precautions to avoid collateral harm to civilians.

 It prohibits torture and ill-treatment of people in detention, attacks on

humanitarian or medical workers, and the use of certain weaponry such as
chemical or biological weapons. It also covers the obligations parties to
conflict have when it comes to allowing humanitarians to reach people in
need.