Human rights protection a challenge in international relations (a historical perspective)

The concept of human rights and the fulfillment of minimum standards for dignified treatment have a significant impact on international relations. It seems that the increasing importance of human rights on the international scene is one of the challenges facing the international system of states. The evolution of the debate on human rights has its roots in historical, religious and moral ideas about human dignity, as well as in educational ideas about limited power and natural rights. However, the concept of human rights is a typical response to the phenomenon of industrialization and the emergence of market capitalism. The Westphalian system may offer a solid explanation of positive changes in supporting human rights. However, the Geneva Convention of 1864 was a perfect and initial attempt to apply international law in the field of human rights' protection. Later conventions and agreements strengthened the protection of human dignity by limiting the conduct of states in times of war. The protection of human dignity was additionally strengthened after World War II, in response to war atrocities. By adopting the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the international community laid down the cornerstone for further development of the international human rights law. All conventions, declarations and agreements adopted ever since have been a mechanism for the implementation of internationally recognized human rights. The massive human rights abuses in the period of the Cold War generated an increasing interest in human rights, especially in the field of justice. Today, there is remarkable activism in the area of international justice, and human rights have become an important factor in the growing impact of international civil society. Keywords: human rights, international law, international legal acts, historical aspects