How to Write a Research Paper on Human Rights

Human rights are a set of principles which recognise that every person is born free and equal in dignity and worth. They are fundamental and indivisible, and cannot be surrendered or derogated from. They include a right to life, liberty and security of person, as well as the right to freedom of speech, religion and a private property.

The word ‘human rights’ has been in use since the end of World War II and the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. It replaced the term ‘natural rights’ which had fallen out of favour in the 19th century, following the rise of a philosophy called legal positivism, which rejected the theory that law must be moral to be valid.

Writing a research paper in the field of human rights can be challenging because the topic is complex. It is recommended to find a narrow focus and to write your essay with an underlying theme that you are interested in. This will help you to stay organized and focused while researching your topic.

This year, our focus is on people, like the Indigenous reindeer herder who’s fighting to protect her land in Norway or the photojournalist jailed for exposing flood disasters in Myanmar or the boy whose life was taken by female genital cutting in South Africa. Their stories are connected by one thing – their human rights were violated. By writing letters and signing petitions, you can make a difference.

Global Security Trends 2025

The world has become more connected and interdependent, putting international peace and security in the spotlight. Global security is an ever-changing field that requires criminology professionals to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to stay ahead of emerging threats and risks. This article explores five key emerging security trends 2025, including geopolitical tensions, heightened instances of GZW tactics, citizen crisis preparedness initiatives, and more.

The rise of GZW tactics like cyber attacks, hacking, and sabotage has placed increased pressure on security teams to be vigilant and proactive. These security challenges call for a multifaceted approach that prioritizes data analysis, threat prevention, and crisis response efforts to keep organizations safe.

A growing focus on protecting civilians from terrorist attacks, lone-wolf threats, and other criminal activities requires law enforcement agencies to collaborate across borders and jurisdictions. This entails developing strategies that balance national security with humanitarian concerns while addressing the root causes of these issues.

Increasingly, countries are recognizing the need for stronger collaboration in the realm of security in order to protect their citizens and maintain international peace. This is reflected in the growth of international security alliances such as NATO and the strengthening of emergency response systems. Security also has a direct impact on economic stability and growth, as safe environments encourage investments and boost economic activity. This is also true for digital economies, where strong cybersecurity measures promote safer online transactions and a space for innovation. For example, countries with high security initiatives often see a higher GDP growth rate than those without.

The Organs of the United Nations

The United Nations was founded in 1945. Its founders envisioned an international organization that would help bring about world peace, develop friendly relations among nations and promote social progress and better living standards for all. Its main organs are the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council and Trusteeship Council and the International Court of Justice. Its Secretariat – an international staff working in duty stations around the globe – carries out the diverse day-to-day work of the Organization.

Article 2. The General Assembly is the principal deliberative body of the United Nations and is responsible for its policy development and review. Its members have equal voting rights, except as otherwise provided for in the Charter. Its meetings are held in regular annual sessions and at such other times as the Security Council may request.

3. The Council shall deal with international economic and social, cultural and educational matters, and make recommendations thereon to the General Assembly, the Member States and the specialized agencies. It may prepare draft conventions on such subjects and convene international conferences for the purpose of their consideration.

4. The Trusteeship Council established under the provisions of this Chapter shall provide for the administration and supervision of the eleven Trust Territories placed under its authority, and ensure that adequate steps are taken towards their self-government or independence. The Council shall meet as and when required by the Charter.

5. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, who is the chief executive officer of the United Nations and who heads the Secretariat, shall perform his functions in accordance with the principles of the Charter and the policies of the Organization as determined by the General Assembly. The Secretary-General and his staff are independent in the exercise of their responsibilities, free from interference by any government or entity external to the Organization.

The Limitations of Global Sanctions

Global sanctions are a powerful instrument used to address a range of geopolitical issues, from nuclear proliferation and regional conflict to human rights abuses and counter-terrorism. However, their impact is often complex and subject to unintended consequences. Moreover, the constantly evolving nature of the global political landscape and the existence of illicit networks challenge the effectiveness of sanctions. This makes it crucial that sanctions are continually monitored, adapted and updated. LSEG World-Check helps financial institutions navigate these challenges by automating the screening of customer and transaction data against global sanctions lists. Failure to comply can result in fines, reputational damage and exclusion from critical financial networks.

Despite these shortcomings, the use of sanctions continues to be popular with voters and politicians. In part, this reflects the desire for foreign policy interventions that do not involve the risky and expensive military option. It also reflects the fact that sanctions can be imposed against states, regions and individuals that are guilty of severe offenses, such as oppression or violence.

Nevertheless, it is important to recognize the limitations of sanctions and understand their unintended consequences before they are implemented. Sanctions must be carefully calibrated and should primarily target policymakers and selected economic sectors to be effective. They should be developed with exit scenarios in mind and must take into account the cost to the sanctioner’s own economy. Ultimately, the success of sanctions depends on the capacity to forge large coalitions and to implement them consistently.

Investing Trends

Investing trends are a crucial element of investment decision-making. They can span a range of timeframes from short-term tactical movements to long-term structural changes in the economy and technology. They are often influenced by macroeconomic factors such as GDP growth, unemployment rates, and inflation; central bank policy; technological advances; demographic shifts; and geopolitical events. Investor sentiment and collective behavior also play a role.

A rising trend is a key driver for investing in global markets, particularly emerging and frontier markets. These regions tend to offer a more compelling valuation than US stocks, which are currently overvalued by historical standards.

Investors are also embracing ESG investing, which is growing in popularity among asset owners. A recent survey from Morningstar found that 70% of investors believe ESG factors will become more important in their fund selection process over the next five years.

As the economy continues to grow, investors are increasingly seeking alternative assets to diversify their portfolios. In particular, art and real estate have gained traction as viable alternatives to traditional equity and bond investments. The new market for fractional art ownership is being led by firms such as Masterworks and Freeport, which allow individuals to invest in pieces of artwork through shares that they can buy, trade, or sell.

Although identifying investment trends is a vital part of the investment process, they should not be considered an exact prediction of future performance. While observing certain negative trends (such as speculative bubbles or excessive leverage) may indicate elevated risk, market crashes are complex events with many unpredictable catalysts and unforeseen influences.

What is a Trade Agreement?

A trade agreement is a set of rules that outlines how countries and businesses can trade with one another. The rules are designed to reduce or eliminate tariffs, create a more predictable trading environment for investors and traders, resolve behind-the-border barriers that impede the flow of goods and services, and set rules on issues like intellectual property protection, e-commerce and government procurement.

A number of different types of trade agreements exist, with the most significant ones being free trade agreements (FTAs). FTAs enable your company to compete in international markets by providing zero or reduced tariffs on qualified products. They also help improve the rules that affect issues such as product standards, labor standards and a country’s ability to sell into government procurements.

Trade agreements discipline how governments collect tariffs by requiring that they abide by the rules laid out in the agreement when they determine the origin of an import shipment, its customs category and value. In addition, these agreements establish the principles of reciprocity, most-favored nation status and national treatment of nontariff restrictions. In combination, these provisions have dramatically reduced protectionism in recent decades and helped expand world trade.

Nevertheless, critics complain that the thousands of pages of these trade agreements often contain “hidden special-interest favors” and are too complex to achieve their goals. This criticism is misguided. Despite their flaws, these agreements are helping shift national trade policies toward freer trade and are checking corporate demands for government protection from competition.

Global Democracy

Global democracy is the idea that, as decision-making moves beyond the state, so should democracy. Proponents of this approach see the global political arena as an opportune moment to reshape the international ecosystem for democracy support, with new constellations of think tanks, universities, philanthropic organizations, and practitioners joining forces to help reimagine democracy worldwide.

This agenda is not without controversy. The most persistent criticism is that a focus on global democracy risks overlooking the unique nature of world politics. For most IR theorists, world politics is fundamentally power politics; and while cooperative and mutually-beneficial forms of international governance can occur, states’ insatiable appetite for power ensures that they will always strive to maximize their relative material capabilities vis-à-vis other nations. This inescapable fact directly undercuts the cosmopolitan foundation upon which most global democracy advocates base their views (see, for example, Erman 2012; Held 1995; Bohman 2007).

Some scholars also question whether the pursuit of democratic freedoms outside of national borders can be seen as ethically justified on intrinsic grounds. In particular, they argue that the value of equality, autonomy, and non-domination constitute additional moral reasons to promote global democracy independent of any benefits it might generate. This argument is most common among liberal democrats and neo-Roman republicans. Yet, as a number of authors have pointed out, these intrinsic arguments are essentially the same as those used to justify democracy within national borders and thus should be treated with the same critical eye as any other claims for the legitimacy of democracy at the global level.

Economic Sanctions and the Political Consequences of Sanctions

Economic sanctions are an expression of conflict, and they’re a common tool to apply pressure to troublesome regions or countries. The goal is to ratchet up pressure on a targeted country or region without plunging them into a full-blown humanitarian crisis. Striking that delicate balance requires a deep understanding of a targeted nation’s vulnerabilities and dependencies. For example, sanctions that impact oil exports, as well as a targeted country’s primary source of income, require a precise assessment of the economy’s interconnectivity and vulnerability to trade partner withdrawals.

Embargoes, export restrictions, capital controls (to block access to international capital markets), and visa bans on officials, private citizens, and their immediate families all fall into the category of economic sanctions. Each has a different effect on trade, and these effects accumulate over time.

The research literature has employed a variety of methodologies to measure the economic consequences of sanctions. Some regression models use total bilateral trade, or a subset of it, as the dependent variable; others use only exports, or a subset of those. A few studies have used dummy variables that distinguish between target and sender. The dummy variables take on values ranging from 0 to 1 for both targets and senders, reflecting the severity of each country’s sanction status.

But while evidence points to the negative impacts of sanctions, they may also have political benefits for those imposing them. Sanctions may help consolidate power within a regime, or make the target government more willing to engage in policy change.

The Effectiveness of the IMF Bailout

A country in financial crisis typically seeks assistance from international official organizations such as the IMF and World Bank. These organizations often issue special loans that are accompanied by corrective policy actions known as structural adjustment programs. The purpose of these policies is to reduce the debt burden of a country and promote sustainable economic growth. However, the effectiveness of bailouts is disputed by a variety of factors.

The first question concerns whether a financially troubled country is willing to request the assistance of international official bodies and, in turn, whether these institutions agree to offer funding. This decision is primarily driven by the level of risk involved in borrowing from the markets, and a government’s perception of its ability to restore market confidence.

Despite the importance of this decision, relatively few scholars have studied it in depth. In particular, scholars have focused on the role of IMF-imposed conditionality in bailouts. It has been argued that, for example, the design of conditionality can significantly influence its effectiveness and that the enforcement of conditionality may be problematic.

In addition, it has been argued that the effectiveness of IMF-imposed conditionality depends on the political and economic relationship between a country and the major members of international official bodies. For instance, Stone (2004) and Kilby (2009) argue that it is difficult for the IMF to enforce strict conditionality on political allies of the US. Accordingly, it has been argued that the IMF’s lending decisions are politically motivated and that moral hazard is an important problem in the process of bailouts.

How Supply Chain Disruption Can Affect Your Bottom Line

Supply chain disruption is any event that interrupts the normal flow of goods, exposing companies to risk and impacting customers. It can result in materials scarcity, delayed deliveries and a range of other issues that affect the bottom line. These events can be caused by a wide range of factors including natural disasters, global political tensions, transportation infrastructure problems, changing laws and regulations, workforce issues and more.

Regardless of the cause, the effects are always the same: production lines pause, inventory levels drop and demand drops. This results in missed delivery windows, lost sales and customer dissatisfaction. Fortunately, strong planning, greater visibility and the use of best practices in risk assessment and management can mitigate these effects.

One issue often overlooked is that supply chains are interconnected across multiple companies and regions. This creates complicated and sensitive relationships with suppliers, and even local events can have ripple impacts. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how a single disease outbreak can affect everything from manufacturing to transportation.

While some of these risks can be predicted and planned for, others are not. This is why it’s important to keep a finger on the pulse of your supplier relationships, consider on- or near-shoring options and invest in talent development. It’s also a good idea to diversify your supplier base and use technology tools to improve visibility. This will help you react faster and more effectively to sudden changes. Ultimately, it’s about building resilience for the long run so that you can survive whatever comes your way.