1.1 THE STATES' RESPONSIBILITIES

The authorities have a great deal of power in society and to a large extent determine the conditions their citizens live under. In many countries, e.g. Norway, the majority of citizens enjoy many benefits. This is because their society is rich and both the state and individuals possess a large amount of resources. The authorities distribute the resources in such a way that most people get what they need. In other countries people may live under extremely poor conditions. This could be because the state is poor and there are simply not enough resources to go round. However, it could also be because the people in power do not treat people equally, but instead give a lot to a few and little to the others.

Human rights were devised to ensure that authorities do not discriminate and treat individuals and vulnerable groups badly. It is the states themselves that have agreed to the international conventions. The first one was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and since then many other conventions have been agreed. Observing human rights is primarily the responsibility of the state. When states sign (ratify) international conventions on human rights, they undertake to observe these rights for everybody within their territory.

If a state does not respect and observe human rights, other states and international organisations are entitled to criticise it. If someone believes that his or her human rights are being violated, he or she has an opportunity to start legal proceedings against the authorities in their own country in international human rights courts.