The search for international human rights and justice: Coming to terms with the new global realities

This article argued that an incremental approach to human rights universalism is the places to focus. The more controversial, less quantifiable, human rights relating to disparities in development, standard of living, and dignity are beyond the systems and structures at this point. Working toward a consistent and legitimate approach to the "core" rights-within a standardized location for jurisdiction such as the United Nations-will lead to more confidence in this universalism as fair. While it is true that strong and legitimate states are very much in the interest of the international community, it is equally true that international justice and international pressure have confined state options throughout the world. Recent trends have sparked a greater level of scholarship and activism about the expanded conception of international justice among myriad human rights movements trying to integrate morel ethos into a functioning international law. These trends, representing a shift from the classic paradigm of international relations, have opened new possibilities for the human rights community, while placing increasing constraints on states' conduct. The result has been one of unmistakable dissonance in the international community regarding whether international law is about sovereignty or about rights.