Silverstein, Josef2015-09-042015-09-0407315241011037-1036http://hdl.handle.net/1885/15213When the UN Charter was drafted in 1945, its authors declared that one of its purposes was to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion (United Nations Charter, Art.1.3). Three years later, the members of the UN adopted the Declaration of Human Rights, which detailed the human rights and fundamental freedoms all people should enjoy and established a moral standard by which state actions toward its citizens could be measures. But not all members, despite their pledges and approval, honour these commitments.© Department of Political and Social Change, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National UniversityUN Charterhuman rights1996