Welcome to Module Eight! The issue of Human Rights is one of the key issues addressed by the United Nations on an ongoing basis. In this module, we explore a selection of key human rights documents and one of the most recent UN initiatives to protect human rights, the responsibility to protect.

Begin by watching this brief introductory video:

US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt holding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1949. Mrs Roosevelt played a key role in the creation of the UDHR.

To complete this module you will need to:

  • Complete Activity One: Read three key UN documents on human rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and the General Assembly statement on the Responsibility to Protect.
  • Complete Activity Two: Read about one of the darkest moments of the United Nations – the fall of Srebrenica.
  • Complete Activity Three: Watch the Video ‘After Syria: The Future of the Responsibility to Protect’.
  • Complete Activity Four: Watch the video of the formal adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the General Assembly.

You may also choose to:

  • Complete Activity Five: Assessment Task Option H.
  • Complete Activity Six: Watch video ‘Human Rights Bodies’.