Globalization and Responsibility for Human Rights

Abstract

In this article, we examine to what extent globalization has altered responsibilities for human rights. We give priority to negative human rights and take the violation of these rights as the baseline for determining harm and injustice. We will focus on the global economic order and on climate change and examine whether these aspects of globalization provide us with new reasons to value our relationships with distant others. We argue that, if a relationship of harm is established, fulfilling positive duties is no longer a matter of general charity but has become a special obligation of justice. Accordingly, human rights and corresponding obligations gain important normative weight. We propose to use the “vulnerability presumption principle” as a guideline in determining whether or not such a relationship of harm is established.