Title: Human rights and corresponding duties and duty bearers

Authors: Peter G. Kirchschlaeger

Addresses: Centre of Human Rights Education (ZMRB), University of Teacher Education Lucerne, Sentimatt 1, CH-6003 Lucerne, Switzerland

Abstract: Human rights as a legal and moral minimum standard protecting what humans need for survival and for a life as a human enjoy global acceptance. More controversial, however, are the consequences human rights provoke, e.g., duties, obligations, responsibilities, and the questions around those in charge of implementing human rights. The latter becomes even more relevant in a globalised world where not only states but also non-state actors (e.g., the private sector) enjoy power and global spheres of influence. This article explores the nature of duties corresponding to human rights, the duty-bearers of human rights, and justification of the respective attributions.

Keywords: human rights; constitutional studies; duties; obligations; responsibilities; justification; legitimacy; non-state actors; private sector; institutions; adaptation; power; sphere of influence; duty-bearers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHRCS.2014.067875

International Journal of Human Rights and Constitutional Studies, 2014 Vol.2 No.4, pp.309 - 321

Received: 28 Jun 2014
Accepted: 07 Jul 2014
Published online: 13 Mar 2015 *

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