Global Collective Rights

Global collective rights include the right to development, the right to peace, the right to environmental protection and the right to an international order based on human rights. Collective rights are self-determination rights and are addressed to groups of individuals, and it is often unclear whether these rights can be recognised as human rights. The author first addresses the right to development as it states that everyone is entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realised. The people of the world have a right to peace on the basis of self-determination. The right to protect the environment has implications on other global collective rights in light of the environmental challenges facing the planet. The right to an international order based on Human Rights has a social dimension, in the sense that they give basic rights which are to be taken in social life. The chapter concludes by noting that the states have the primary responsibility for implementing ESCR and ideally for ESCR to be protected worldwide, these rights should be established globally in a similar manner.