Can the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights be enforced?
Yes. A founding principle of the United Nations is “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person [and] in the equal rights of men and women…” The Universal Declaration recognizes respect for human rights as the “foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” Accordingly, along with the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration has provided the moral and legal basis for United Nations action, including action by the Security Council, against violators of human rights. Actions undertaken by the United Nations have included the dispatch of UN investigators, called Special Rapporteurs, to monitor and report on abuses, the establishment of human rights field missions in trouble-spots where the UN conducts peacekeeping operations, and the imposition of economic and political sanctions. Of course the struggle to fully implement human rights is ongoing. In recent years, the UN Security Council has created two international tribunals to brin
