Section 1. Les fondements historiques du droit international des droits de lhomme

Towards a Tradition ofHuman Rights Law?Franois Crpeau Fondements du droit canadien Moot Court 23 janvier 2012IntroductionPresumptuousIHRL born with the UDHR, on 10 December 1948Two sections:Les fondements historiques du droit international des droits de lhomme A living tradition: the protection of the most vulnerable and the meaning of citizenship

Section 1. Les fondements historiques du droit international des droits de lhomme

Culture des DHPhilosophie des droits de lhomme remonte au 18e sicle.Philosophie des Lumires: avnement du sujetConstitutions amricaine et franaiseMais, avant la seconde guerre mondiale:Aucune normativit internationale gnraleAucune institutionalisation solideAucun mouvement des droits de lhommeAucune culture des droits humainsAttendre les chartes au CanadaSources juridiques historiques du DIDHPiraterieLibert religieuseEsclavageDroit de la guerreDroit humanitaireProtection diplomatiqueMinoritsTravailleursRfugisRooseveltNrembergToutes occidentales (critique de Mutua)

1. La piraterie en haute merFaits accomplis en haute mer au moyen de violence contre les biens et les personnes dans un but de lucre. Ils doivent tre distingus la fois des actes similaires commis sur la terre ferme ou en mer territoriale et des entreprises fondes sur des buts politiques (Nguyen)Activit maritime trs ancienneLettres de course: corsairesTrait de Paris du 30 mars 1856 (Guerre de Crime)Pas disparue: Mer de Chine, Mer Rouge2. La protection de la libert religieuseGuerres de religion europennes des 15e et 16e siclesGhettos juifs et pogromsTraits de Westphalie de 1648Trait de Paris de 1763Trait de Constantinople de 1881

3. Labolition de lesclavageLesclavage fut lgaljusquen :UK:1772Vermont:1777Danemark:1792Hati:1793Colonies UK: 1807 (interdiction de la traite)Colonies UK: 1834 (Emancipation Act)France:1794-1802; 1848USA: 1820; 1863Cuba:1886Brsil:1888

3. Labolition de lesclavageSomersetts Case [England, 1772]: The state of slavery is of such a nature that it is incapable of being introduced on any reasons, moral or political, but only by positive lawCongrs de Vienne de 1815Dred Scott v. Sanford [USSC, 1857]: slaves are property.Acte gnral de Berlinde 1885Trait anti-esclavage de Bruxelles de 1890Pacte de la SDN, 1919Convention relative lesclavage, 1926

3. Labolition de lesclavageLesclavage existe encore: 300M desclavesNouvelles formes desclavageSiliadin c. France, CEDH 2005

4. Le droit de la guerreLa guerre juste: jus ad bellum, jus in belloPaquete Habana (USSC 1900): at the present day, by the general consent of the civilized nations of the world, and independently of any express treaty or other public act, it is an established rule of international law, founded on considerations of humanity to a poor and industrious order of men, and of the mutual convenience of belligerent states, that coast fishing vessels, with their implements and supplies, cargoes and crews, unarmed and honestly pursuing their peaceful calling of catching and bringing in fresh fish, are exempt from capture as prize of war.Conventions La Haye 19075. Le droit humanitaire1853- 1855: Guerre de Crime:Florence Nightingale + The Charge of the Light BrigadeOver 300.000 killed, incl. over who died of wounds or disease.1859: Bataille de Solferino: 40.000 morts et blesss1863: Henri Dunant: Comit international et permanent de secours aux militaires blesss en temps de guerre(futur CICR)Convention de Genve du 22 aot 1864 pour l'amlioration du sort des militaires blesss dans les armes en campagne1864-1936: 35 instruments internationaux.

6. Le droit de la responsabilit de ltat et la protection diplomatiqueCommerants (foires, consuls), diplomates (premires ambassades), simples citoyensLtat national ne dfend pas un droit de la personne, mais exerce son droit souverain de prendre son compte les intrts dun de ses citoyens. Plusieurs affaires internationales contemporaines: Mavrommatis, Nottebohm, Barcelona Traction, etc.United States of America (Chattin) v. United Mexican States, U.S.-Mexican Claims Commission, 1927

7. La protection internationale des minorits Rgime des capitulations entre puissances occidentales et lEmpire OttomanProtection des trangers dans lEmpire Ottoman:ltranger a le droit de voyager et de commerceril est exempt dimpt, sauf de droits de douanesil bnficie de la libert de religion et de linviolabilit de son domicileil ne peut tre jug, mme en matire pnale, que par son consul.Protection des Chrtiens de lEmpire Ottoman.Interventions dhumanit pour la protection des minoritsDoctrine de Monroe (Cuba, 1898)

7. La protection internationale des minorits Sous la SDN la fin de la guerre, les trois grands empires centraux sont disloqus.14 points de WilsonRgime de traits sur les minorits, impos aux puissances vaincues ou nouvellescoles minoritaires en Albanie (avis consultatif, CPJI, 1935)chec du systme devant la monte des fascismesRejet du systme aprs la guerre, en faveur dun rgime de droits humains individuels.

8. Les droits des travailleurs19e sicle: suite la rvolution industrielle, mouvement en faveur de normes internationales du travail. Trois arguments: Humanitaire: amliorer le sort des ouvriers. Politique: consolider la paix sociale. conomique: assurer un level-playing field au plan commercial.Constitution de l'OIT (1919): grosse activit normativeDclaration de Philadelphie (1944)Le travail n'est pas une marchandise.Les liberts d'expression et d'association sont indispensables au progrs.La pauvret des uns est un danger pour la prosprit de tous.Tous les tres humains, quels que soient leur race, leur croyance ou leur sexe, ont le droit de poursuivre leur progrs matriel et leur dveloppement spirituel dans la libert et la dignit, dans la scurit conomique et avec des chances gales.

9. La protection des rfugisLasile est une tradition ancienne, immmoriale, transcivilisationnelle, lie la grande loi d'hospitalit1919: 1,5 M rfugis/apatrides russes1921-1945: Nombreux arrangements et conventions: documents didentit et de voyage, rfugis russes, armniens, juifs allemands, rpublicains espagnols...1946: OIR1950: UNHCR1951: Convention de Genve sur le statut des rfugis

10. Les quatre liberts de Roosevelt1941:Freedom of speech and expressionFreedom of every person to worship God in his own wayFreedom from wantFreedom from fear

10. Les quatre liberts de RooseveltFreedom from want is detailed in 1944:Right to a useful and remunerative jobRight to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreationRight of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent livingRight of every business man, large and small, to trade with freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies Right of every family to a decent homeRight to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good healthRight to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, and sickness, and accident and unemploymentRight to a good educationThis is a second Bill of Rights.

11. NurembergAccord de Londres du 8 aot 1945 concernant la poursuite et le chtiment des grands criminels de guerre des Puissances europennes de l'Axe et portant statut du tribunal international militaireCre le Tribunal de NrembergDfinit les crimes contre la paix (Pacte Briand-Kellogg de 1928)crimes de guerre (droit de la guerre)crimes contre lhumanit (nouveau)Jugement du 1er octobre 1946 pose de nombreux principes:Responsabilit pnale individuelleRefus de la dfense dobissance (Eichmann)Convention sur la prvention et la rpression du crime de gnocide de 1948Les fondements de notre DIDHCes rgimes prcurseurs font tous partie de laventure intellectuelle qui nous mne au rgime international des droits humains qui est le ntre.La tradition des DH ne nat pas avec la DUDH en 1948.Elle est la fois synthse (codification) et dveloppement.Comme la Rule of Law de Dicey.

Section 2. The protection of the most vulnerable and the meaning of citizenship

A rich normative structureBinding UN instruments:1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees1965 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD)1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)1973 International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (ICSPCA)1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)1984 Convention Against Torture (CAT)1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (MWC)2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)2006 International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced DisappearanceOther binding instruments: ILO, UNESCOSoft law, including 1948 UDHR and 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Regional normative regimes: Europe, Latin America, Africa

A complex institutional frameworkUN General AssemblyHuman Rights CouncilOHCHR: Under-Secretary GeneralHuman rights officersTreaty bodiesSpecial proceduresRegional bodiesECtHR, IACtHR, ACtHPRIAComHR, AComHPRCouncil of Europe, OSCENGOS: AI, HRW, HRFirst...A living legal tradition All these institutions report from field and interpret IHRL.A living tree: Doctrine of progressive interpretation, rather than that of the framers intent1993 Vienna Declaration: All human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated: Universality over cultural relativity: Asian values...Adopted by consensus: all StatesCSOs throughout the world use HR to protect the most vulnerableDebates continue as to:Relevance of IHRL in specific cultural contexts: interpretationEfficiency of IHRL in the face of so many egregious human rights violationsLegitimacy of IHRL in non-European contextsThe artificial division of HRCivil and political rights: the liberal rightsMajor rights and freedoms: life, liberty, security; expression; association; from torture; from arbitrary arrest, detention, search and seizure; from unfair trial; ...Content of the Canadian Charter of Rights and FreedomsEconomic, social and cultural rightsThe post-war social agendaThe issue of justiciabilityThe fallacious distinction btw positive and negative rights Conditions:Right not to be discriminated = obligation to justify distinctionsRight to a minimum level of servicesExamples of social rightsGrootboom: right to housingPashim Banga: right to minimum health care servicesA living legal tradition IHRL and domestic HRL are a tool for vulnerable persons and discrete and insular minorities, who have no political leverage:Industrial workersWomenAboriginalsMinorities (linguistic, ethnic, religious, cultural...)DetaineesLGBTForeignersBut law by itself doesnt change a social situation, absent a political mobilisationProtection of the rights of migrantsMigrants are the latest of such vulnerable groups to use their HR guarantees in courtsMigrants rarely complain : legally insignificantMigrants do not vote : politically insignificantMigrants are good political scapegoats for social illsNationalist populist discourses go uncontradictedPublic opinions are easily convinced Protection of the rights of migrantsPoliticians cannot be expected to protect the rights of outsiders with no political clout or constituency:Absence of political mobilisationOnly courts or quasi-judicial NHRI will do it:Their legitimacy doesnt rest on political representationDemocracy is made of: political representation + human rights guarantees + rule of law (access to justice)The burden rests on civil society: NGOs, churches, pro bono lawyers, concerned citizens...Migrants are citizensNot necessarily CitizensBut active part of city life, at all levelsEven undocumented migrantsFor migrants, HR matter: they have no other toolP. Williams on the empowering role of Law for minorities, despite its roots in the exercise of power by the dominant classTrade the Us/Them dichotomy for the I/We discourse

No man is an island, entire of itself;every man is a piece of the continent,a part of the main.If a clod be washed away by the sea,Europe is the less,as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of they friends's or of thine own were.Any man's death diminishes me,because I am involved in mankind.And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;it tolls for thee.John Donne (1572-1631)