IB Global Politics Debates on Rights and Justice Questionbank

(a) Identify three human rights that are threatened, as suggested by Source A.

(b) Explain how one government justification for restricting rights is presented in Source B.

(c) Compare and contrast the threats to human rights described in Source C and Source D.

(d) Using at least three sources and your own knowledge, evaluate the claim that national security is the main reason governments restrict civil liberties.

Discuss the view that access to the internet should be recognised as a fundamental human right.

(a) With specific reference to Source A, identify how the allocation of land for resource extraction might impact the rights of indigenous communities.

(b) Using Source B and one example you have studied, explain the importance of collective rights in the context of human rights.

(c) Compare and contrast the views on justice and development as described in Source C and Source D.

(d) Using at least three sources and your own knowledge, evaluate the claim that “Collective rights are essential for the protection of individual human rights.”

"Human rights are a Western construct and cannot be universal." Discuss this view.

Source A

Source B

Adapted from “Crackdowns on protests and freedom of expression continue globally,” an article by Human Rights Watch, www.hrw.org (2023).

Freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly are protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 19 and 20). Yet in recent years, these rights have come under increasing threat across multiple regions.

According to Human Rights Watch, governments in countries such as India, Egypt, and China have used excessive force to disperse protests, blocked internet access, and arrested activists and journalists. Authorities have frequently labelled protest movements as “threats to national security,” justifying harsh crackdowns and prolonged detentions.

These violations not only silence dissenting voices but also weaken democratic accountability. In many cases, marginalized communities, including women, students, and ethnic minorities, are disproportionately targeted, making it harder for them to advocate for justice or reform.

Despite these pressures, civil society movements have continued to demand change, highlighting the enduring importance of protecting freedom of speech and assembly in ensuring broader human rights protections.

Source C

Adapted from: “Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights,” UN Human Rights Council, www.ohchr.org (2022).

Many governments justify restrictive laws and practices in the name of national security. However, the UN Human Rights Council has raised serious concerns that such measures often violate fundamental human rights.

In recent years, anti-terror legislation in countries such as France, Egypt, and the Philippines has allowed for indefinite detention, internet shut-downs, mass surveillance, and the banning of public gatherings. Critics argue that these measures disproportionately target political activists, minority communities, and human rights defenders.

The UN emphasizes that while states have a duty to protect their citizens from terrorism, they must also uphold international human rights obligations. Counter-terror policies should be necessary, proportionate, and subject to independent oversight to prevent abuse of power and the erosion of civil liberties.

Source D

Adapted from: “Crackdown on Press Freedom,” Reporters Without Borders, www.rsf.org (2023).

Freedom of the press is essential to democracy and accountability, but it is increasingly under threat. Reporters Without Borders reports that in over 70 countries, journalists are being harassed, jailed, or killed for reporting on corruption, conflict, or human rights violations.

In places like Turkey, China, and Eritrea, governments have shut down media outlets, censored online platforms, and labelled independent journalists as enemies of the state. In more democratic countries, legal intimidation and surveillance have created a chilling effect, causing journalists to self-censor.

The organization stresses that attacks on press freedom not only violate the rights of journalists, but also undermine the public’s right to information. It calls for urgent international action to protect media workers and restore space for free, independent journalism.

Source A

Source B

Adapted from the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Article 32 (2007)

States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands or territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other resources.

Collective rights represent the shared interests and identity of a group, which are distinct from individual rights. For many indigenous communities, the right to land is not just an individual property right but a collective right to survival, culture, and self-determination. This framework challenges traditional Western notions of individual justice by arguing that the group’s historical and spiritual connection to a territory must be legally protected to ensure the human rights of all its members are realized.

Source C

Adapted from an editorial: “National Development and the Public Interest,” The Daily Progress (2019)

Critics of large-scale infrastructure and mining projects often ignore the broader mandate of the state: the welfare of the entire nation. While respect for local communities is important, it cannot override the state’s sovereign right to develop its natural resources for the benefit of the majority. The revenues generated from these projects provide the schools, hospitals, and infrastructure needed to lift millions out of poverty.

A system that grants a small minority a permanent veto over national economic strategy is fundamentally unjust to the rest of the citizenry. The state must balance competing interests, but its primary duty is to the collective prosperity of its people. Individual and group grievances must be managed through fair compensation, but the progress of the nation as a whole is a priority that ensures the long-term enjoyment of social and economic rights for every citizen.

Source D

Adapted from a report by Cultural Survival: “The Struggle for Ancestral Land,” (2021)

For the Ogoni people and many other groups, the land is more than a resource; it is the foundation of their identity and existence. Recent years have seen an escalation of conflict as governments grant licenses to multinational corporations without the genuine consent of the residents. Activists argue that “development” forced upon a community is not development at all, but a form of dispossession.

In many cases, legal victories in international courts—which recognize the collective titles of indigenous peoples—are ignored by national governments. The persistence of these conflicts highlights the clash between two views of justice: one that prioritizes the global market and national GDP, and another that prioritizes the dignity and cultural continuity of traditional societies. True justice requires recognizing that certain rights, such as the right to ancestral land, are non-negotiable and cannot be simply “bought off” with compensation.