International Human Rights: Divisible or Indivisible?

Abstract

The relevance of the study stems from the ongoing debate around the justifiability of the existence of two separate covenants in international human rights law: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The subject of the article is the question of the divisibility or indivisibility of international human rights. The purpose of the paper is to analyse the reasons for the creation of two separate covenants and whether international human rights are divisible or indivisible. In addition, the study aims to examine how the formation of the two-covenant system affected state practice and international human rights obligations. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that it provides a new look at the reasons, justification and some practical consequences of the existence of the two-covenant system. The paper contributes to the understanding of the relationship between civil and political rights and economic and social rights in light of contemporary challenges in the field of human rights and globalisation.