Respect For Human Rights in The Practice of Effective Democratic Systems
By Alusine Sallieu Kargbo
It goes without saying that the urge for a move from dictatorship, oligarchy and autocratic forms of leaderships led to the adoption of democracy. The adoption was to guarantee individual citizens right to equal representation and access to their fundamental human rights and to as well create a platform for citizens to fulfill their obligations and rights to their individual states. Since the inception of democracy, the protection and respect for human rights remains a significant step in moving forward to the effective practice and sustainability of democracy. Though there are exceptions and limitations to every human right, the unlawful derogation of any human right without legal justification is seen as an act of violence or violation in every democratic state.
Human rights are those rights that are inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion and or any other status. Some of these rights include the right to life, vote, speech, conscience, liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression and the right to work and education etc. These are rights that every human is entitled to without discrimination according to international law. Democracy is described as a form of government in which supreme power is invested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through representation. In common term, democracy is a form of governance that is deeply routed from the people governed. It is a political system that allows citizens to participate in political decision making by electing their representatives to government bodies to work in their capacity. Representatives elected were meant to seek the interest, welfare and needs of the people and work towards fulfilling their obligations to their people without sentiment.
Respect for human rights is a fundamental aspect in practice of democracy, and both terms are closely linked. Guaranteeing the enjoyment of citizens rights is the sine qua non of every democracy, thus respect for human rights enhances the existence of democracy. Giving citizens the mandate to decide on issues that that have to do with their own affairs and leadership through informed and genuine representation of their opinions, free from conflict, malice and resentment is key in the practice of effective democracy. For a state that is to safeguard its democracy, the people must have a keen sense of independence, self-respect and their oneness. Respect for the fundamental rights of individuals and groups is inherent in the sustenance of good governance which is a significant tool in the fulfillment of an effective democracy.
According to Thomas Jefferson, “the care for human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only object of good government”. A good government is said to be one that seeks the welfare of every citizen without discrimination nor sentiment…a key requisite in the practice of democracy. Democratic institutions signing to the diverse international human rights treaties, to include: UDHR, ICCPR, ICESCR and their different optional protocols, are obligated to respect and provide citizens with fundamental human rights and as well refrain from any forms of human rights violations such as unlawful killings and sentences, injustice, prohibition of freedom of expression, deprivation of electoral rights and unlawful derogation of other human rights to work in compliance with international law.
Respect for human rights in democracy doesn’t only signifies individuals and groups right to vote and be voted for, but the protection of every other citizen rights. Democracy gains it moral strength from individual autonomy and equality; thus, democracy is not just a rule of few segmented individuals or majority votes, but a rule that seeks the opinion, welfare and needs of every citizen within it borders without sentiment. Achieving a democracy geared at respecting the rights of citizens is an ongoing and continuous process as according to Kofi Annan “no one is born a good citizen and no nation is born a democracy; young people must be included from birth”. Respect for human rights and the active participation of citizens in promoting the practice of democracy facilitate ownership and trust in governance, hence discourages the occurrence of a violent and conflicting democracy.