The history of establishing the principle of nondiscrimination in public international law

Abstract

The history of establishing the principle of non-discrimination in international public law is marked by the progressive evolution of international consciousness regarding the necessity of guaranteeing equality and fundamental rights for individuals and states. An important moment in the history of affirming non-discrimination was the adoption of the United Nations Charter in 1945, which states in the preamble that all UN members must promote respect for the fundamental rights of humans without distinction of race, sex, language, or religion. Subsequently, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 consolidated these principles and asserted that all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Another significant moment was the adoption of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1965, representing a major step in addressing discrimination based on race. Later, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1979 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 expanded these principles to cover other categories of individuals.