A Cross-Cultural Understanding of Human Rights in International Legal Discourse

This article challenges the traditional human rights narrative and proposes a more inclusive global perspective. It highlights human rights values from both Western and non-Western civilizations, as well as the contributions of countries from the Global North and the Global South to the development of today's international human rights system. It debunks the theories of "Asian values" and "cultural relativism," and identifies commonalities across different civilizations and cross-fertilization that has taken place between different civilizations. Establishing connections between civilizations, this study brings to bear an informed and unbiased global human rights narrative to scholarly consciousness by unpacking the complexities alongside rigorous analysis of the competing human rights narratives.