University of Sussex
Browse
Karp - Responsibility to Respect - author accepted.pdf (757.17 kB)

What is the responsibility to respect human rights? Reconsidering the 'respect, protect, and fulfill' framework

Download (757.17 kB)
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 19:14 authored by David KarpDavid Karp
The world’s understanding of the action needed to advance human rights is deeply structured by the ‘respect, protect, and fulfill’ framework. But its potential is significantly undermined by a narrow conception of ‘respect’ for human rights. This paper systematically addresses these weaknesses and advances an original alternative. It first provides a historical account of the ‘do no harm’ conception of ‘respect’ in the political context of the late Cold War. It then analyzes this conception’s empirical functioning today, using the example of unauthorized migration along the US–Mexico border. These points illustrate an overarching theoretical argument: the responsibility to respect human rights should be based on a responsibility not to dehumanize, rather than exclusively on a duty to do no harm. This involves the consideration of each person as a moral equal, the elevation of human rights practice as a basis for judgment inside of a moral agent’s self, and the rejection of state-centrism as the basis for all political responsibility. This argument has implications traversing the theory and practice of human rights, including: the ability to translate and embed into practice the new meanings of ‘respect,’ ‘protect,’ and ‘fulfill’; and the need to re-consider the contemporary significance of 1980s liberalism.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

International Theory

ISSN

1752-9719

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Issue

1

Volume

12

Page range

83-108

Department affiliated with

  • International Relations Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Centre for Advanced International Theory Publications
  • Sussex Rights and Justice Research Centre Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2019-10-07

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-10-07

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2019-10-03

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC