Public Policy and Human Rights
The human being at international law is collectively referred to as “humankind” encompassing all members of the human species as a whole, and it is in this context that the aviation perspective should look at the people affected by it both as a whole and in the singular context of the passenger carried by air. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations recognizes the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, and provides that everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state and everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country. The Declaration also provides that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person, implying that such rights should not be arbitrarily taken away by any means.
The political economy of human rights: the struggle over the establishment of a human rights commission in Israel
This article analyses the attempts to establish a human rights commission in Israel by using public choice theory and socio-cultural variables as explanations. It develops a theoretical framework that views the decision-making process (1999–2004) as dictated by several conditions: non-governability, the judicialization of politics and the special characteristics of civil society in Israel. It emphasizes the existence of an outcome-directed, participative political culture with alternative (instrumental) characteristics. Thus, the call for social change is characterized by protest and challenges to the authorities. These considerations have received less emphasis in the human rights literature.
Participation and litigation rights of environmental associations in Europe : current legal situation and practical experience
This book assembles the revised papers of an international conference and thus offers a comprehensive comparative overview of the participation and litigation rights of environmental associations in Europe. This is supplemented by a compilation of the relevant statutory law in force. Besides the legal background, the focus of interest is above all on practical experience with participation and litigation rights from the point of view of the environmental associations.The contributions show that the effectivity of group actions is extremely high. In none of the analysed countries were there the slightest indications of any undue strain being placed on the judicial system by this instrument. There can be no doubt that the participation and litigation rights of environmental organizations are important instruments in reducing the enforcement deficit in environmental protection. With a view to the fact that Europe is growing more and more into one entity, the need of participation of environmental NGO's on the European level becomes a pressing necessity.