With 2045 as a horizon, participants discussed how current human rights challenges affect future generations, and what can be done to embed intergenerational responsibility into decision making.
Key points from the discussions included:
The younger generation have grown up with the reality of genocide, violence, and diminishing human rights. Through generations of trauma, trust in international law has been eroded, and therefore what happens next among youth is critical as to whether human rights have a future or not.
Intergenerational responsibility cannot just exist in social movements, it needs to be embedded properly in political and electoral cycles such as including youth in commissions, and parliaments.
Intergenerational justice is about relationships and relationships establish how well power is exercised. No generation can solve this alone, and shared decision-making spaces are essential.
Humans need to future-proof themselves and not fall prey to the fallacy that everything humans are taught to pursue is fixed and final. As youth are struggling to transition from a world they expect to a world of AI, human rights become an important part of the landscape of understanding, self-inquiry, and lived realities.
Young people are very good at communicating human rights and at creating and sustaining movements, for example, Fridays for Future, and Most Affected People and Areas (MAPA). Young people are coordinated and powerful, as lawyers, professionals, and government officials, and understand the system’s sensitive points on which to put pressure.
In discussions, participants noted risks around general perceptions of human rights as being for minority communities, rather than for everyone, and perceptions of rights as being restrictive rather than freeing. If current trends continue there is a risk of human rights becoming a specialist and elitist ideology centred on cultural and moral issues, rather than a shared civic framework and a unified vision for human dignity.
Future proofing human rights also means reviewing and reforming institutions, treaties, and processes. Some participants questioned the accessibility of the treaty bodies to civil society (as they are complex and can be difficult to understand), and others highlighted their value and strength. International treaties are used the world over by non-governmental organisations and lawyers to protect rights and hold abusers accountable, and the treaties’ documents are useful and are implemented.
With the increasing use of technology and AI, it is important to recognise the role that AI can play in streamlining the work of human rights monitoring but equally ensure it does not replace diplomacy and opportunities for young people to learn. Future-proofing human rights does not mean automating the processes that people need to learn to make decisions in the future. AI is growing in capacity and influence, yet fewer than half of the companies adopting AI worldwide have an AI strategy.
Civil society organisations and social movements play critical roles in engaging with people on the ground, but they differ. Opportunities exist to put greater focus on supporting cross- movement building among movements of women, persons with disabilities, and Indigenous Peoples with the need to make investment in emerging and cross-sectional voices.
The concept of intersectionality in human rights is important for continuity and to connect movements and people across a range of issues including climate justice, trade, gender, Indigenous Peoples, peace, and development. There is power in fostering relationships across the entire ecosystem and include people and movements previously overlooked.
As we move into a changing era, it is no longer safe to make assumptions about the continuation of the human rights system. If honouring human dignity is at the core of the human project, then human rights must be brought into the new era.
Some key considerations and suggestions were to:
- Fight hard for human rights and the principle of universality and stand up for the institutions that are already established, imperfect as they are.
- Protect civil society as there is no future for human rights without it.
- Engage and harness young energy in the world and work with allies across multiple and intersectional social movements, while framing human rights as central.
- Make a powerful case for human rights, especially around business and security, arguing for a more prosperous and secure society, with peaceful and trustful communities as a result.
- Broaden engagement with private sector organisations on their responsibilities and positive influence on rights.
- Engage with states bilaterally and multilaterally on human rights principles and values and insist leaders speak up.
- Recognise the persistence of the patriarchy and of the legacy of colonialism and how both shape the world.