Challenges Facing the Global Human Rights Regime Social Sciences Essay (Essay Sample)

Challenges Facing the Global Human Rights Regime
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Referencing Style: APA 6th/Word Count: 639
Challenges Facing the Global Human Rights Regime
Human rights are the fundamental freedoms or privileges and the norms that aspire to protect individuals from severe legal, political, or social abuses. Given that human rights are universal, they exist independently in both the global perspective and the national scope. As a result, many organizations have come up to advocate for human rights both nationally and globally. The global human rights regime refers to the amalgamation of laws and the formation of permanent global institutions that advocate for human rights. Stephen Hopgood, one of the leading experts in human rights and social justice, presents critical insights into the challenges facing the global human rights regime. Hopgood argues that the global human rights regime suffers from multiple challenges that are extremely difficult to deal with.
While formulating his argument, Hopgood bases his premise on the profound question of whether human rights are still relevant and effective in producing social change. He first questions the effectiveness of this global regime, arguing that human rights campaigns have achieved very little in eliciting impactful social change (Hopgood, 2014). Hopgood exemplifies the case of the International Criminal Court (ICC), instituted to deal with cases of gross breach of human rights such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. He notes that in the twelve years that the Court has been in operation, very little has been achieved. The Court's ability to deliver on the promises made during its institution has been circumscribed by external political interference, with critics questioning its capacity to deliver on its mandate (Hopgood, 2014).