IB Global Politics Nature, Practice and Study of Rights and Justice Key Definitions

Cultural relativism is the view that rights and moral standards are products of particular cultures rather than universal absolutes. It treats human rights claims as legitimate only when they fit local traditions, religion, and history.

Humanitarian intervention refers to the use of military force by one or more states in another state without the latter's consent, with the primary aim of preventing or stopping widespread suffering or human rights abuses.

Monitoring involves tracking and evaluating the implementation of rights and justice frameworks.

NGOs are non-profit, independent of governments, and aim to help people or promote causes. Can operate at local, national, regional, or global levels. Share similarities with civil society groups but often more structured or professionalized.

These are situations where individuals or groups believe they have been treated unfairly, even if no formal rights have been violated. This can include economic inequality, political exclusion, or social discrimination.

Protection involves ensuring that codified rights are respected and enforced.

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is a doctrine adopted at the 2005 UN World Summit holding that sovereignty is conditional: when a state fails to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, or crimes against humanity, the international community has the responsibility to intervene.

Sovereignty means a state's independence and control over its territory. States are expected to govern effectively, make decisions within their borders and control what happens inside their territory.

These occur when fundamental human rights are ignored, restricted, or abused. Examples include torture, arbitrary detention, and discrimination.

World norms are shared expectations and standards that guide the behavior of states and other actors in the international system.