Chaired by Helmut Schmidt
20-22 April 1997
Vienna,
Austria
It is time to talk about human responsibilities
The call by the InterAction Council for a
Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities is timely.
Although traditionally we have spoken of human rights, and
indeed the world has gone a long way in their
international recognition and protection since the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the
United Nations in 1948, it is time now to initiate an
equally important quest for the acceptance of human duties
or obligations.
This emphasis of human
obligations is necessary for several reasons. Of course,
this idea is new only to some regions of the world; many
societies have traditionally conceived of human relations
in terms of obligations rather than rights. This is true,
in general terms, for instance, for much of Eastern
thought. While traditionally in the West, at least since
the 17th Century age of enlightenment, the concepts of
freedom and individuality have been emphasized, in the
East, the notions of responsibility and community have
prevailed. The fact that a Universal Declaration of Human
Rights was drafted instead of a Universal Declaration of
Human Duties undoubtedly reflects the philosophical and
cultural background of the document's drafters who, as is
known, represented the Western powers who emerged
victorious from the Second World War.
The
concept of human obligations also serves to balance the
notions of freedom and responsibility: while rights relate
more to freedom, obligations are associated with
responsibility. Despite this distinction, freedom and
responsibility are interdependent. Responsibility, as a
moral quality, serves as a natural, voluntary check for
freedom. In any society, freedom can never be exercised
without limits. Thus, the more freedom we enjoy, the
greater the responsibility we bear, toward others as well
as ourselves. The more talents we possess, the bigger the
responsibility we have to develop them to their fullest
capacity. We must move away from the freedom of
indifference towards the freedom of involvement.
The
opposite is also true: as we develop our sense of
responsibility, we increase our internal freedom by
fortifying our moral character. When freedom presents us
with different possibilities for action, including the
choice to do right or wrong, a responsible moral character
will ensure that the former will prevail.
Sadly,
this relationship between freedom and responsibility is
not always understood clearly. Some ideologies have placed
greater importance on the concept of individual freedom,
while others concentrate on an unquestioning commitment to
the social group.
Without a proper balance,
unrestricted freedom is as dangerous as imposed social
responsibility. Great social injustices have resulted from
extreme economic freedom and capitalist greed, while at
the same time cruel oppression of people's basic liberties
has been justified in the name of society's interests or
communist ideals.
Either extreme is
undesirable. At present, with the disappearance of the
East-West conflict and the end of the Cold War, humankind
seems closer to the desired balance between freedom and
responsibility. We have struggled for freedom and rights.
It is now time to foster responsibility and human
obligations.
The InterAction Council believes
that globalization of the world economy is matched by
globalization of the world's problems. Because global
interdependence demands that we must live with each other
in harmony, human beings need rules and constraints.
Ethics are the minimum standards that make a collective
life possible. Without ethics and self-restraint that are
their result, humankind would revert to the survival of
the fittest. The world is in need of an ethical base on
which to stand.
Recognizing this need, the
InterAction Council began its search for universal ethical
standards with a meeting of spiritual leaders and
political leaders in March 1987 at La Civiltà Cattolica in
Rome, Italy. Again in 1996, the Council requested a report
by a high-level expert group on the subject of global
ethical standards. The Council, at its Vancouver Plenary
Meeting in May 1996, welcomed the report of this Group,
which consisted of religious leaders from several faiths
and experts drawn from across the globe. The findings of
this report ''In Search of Global Ethical Standards''
demonstrated that the world faiths have much in common and
the Council endorsed the recommendation that ''in 1998,
the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the United Nations should convene a conference to
consider a Declaration of Human Obligations to complement
the earlier crucial work on rights.''
The
initiative to draft a Universal Declaration of Human
Responsibilities is not only a way of balancing freedom
with responsibility, but also a means of reconciling
ideologies and political views that were deemed
antagonistic in the past. The basic premise, then, should
be that humans deserve the greatest possible amount of
freedom, but also should develop their sense of
responsibility to its fullest in order to correctly
administer their freedom.
This is hardly a new
idea. Throughout the millennia prophets, saints and sages
have implored mankind to take its responsibilities
seriously. In our century, for example, Mahatma Gandhi
preached on the seven social sins.
1. Politics
without principles
2. Commerce without morality
3.
Wealth without work
4. Education without character
5.
Science without humanity
6. Pleasure without
conscience
7. Worship without sacrifice
Globalization,
however, has given new urgency to the teaching of Gandhi
and other ethical leaders. Violence on our television
screens is now transmitted by satellites across the
planet. Speculation in far away financial markets can
devastate local communities. The influence of private
tycoons now approaches the power of governments and unlike
elected politicians, there is no accountability for this
private power except for their own personal sense of
responsibility. Never has the world needed a declaration
of human responsibilities more.
From Rights to Obligations
Because rights and duties are inextricably
linked, the idea of a human right only makes sense if we
acknowledge the duty of all people to respect it.
Regardless of a particular society's values, human
relations are universally based on the existence of both
rights and duties.
There is no need for a
complex system of ethics to guide human action. There is
one ancient rule that, if truly followed, would ensure
just human relations: the Golden Rule. In its negative
form, the Golden Rule mandates that we not do to others
what we do not wish be done to us. The positive form
implies a more active and solidary role: Do unto others as
you would have them do unto you.
Bearing in
mind the Golden Rule, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights provides an ideal starting point from which to
consider some of the main obligations which are a
necessary complement to those rights.
- If we
have a right to life, then we have the obligation to
respect life.
- If we have a right to liberty,
then we have the obligation to respect other people's
liberty.
- If we have a right to security, then we
have the obligation to create the conditions for every
human being to enjoy human security.
- If we
have a right to partake in our country's political process
and elect our leaders, then we have the obligation to
participate and ensure that the best leaders are
chosen.
- If we have a right to work under just
and favorable conditions to provide a decent standard of
living for ourselves and our families, we also have the
obligation to perform to the best of our capacities.
-
If we have a right to freedom of thought, conscience and
religion, we also have the obligation to respect other's
thoughts or religious principles.
- If we have
a right to be educated, then we have the obligation to
learn as much as our capabilities allow us and, where
possible, share our knowledge and experience with
others.
- If we have a right to benefit from
the earth's bounty, then we have the obligation to
respect, care for and restore the earth and its natural
resources.
As human beings, we have unlimited
potential for self-fulfilment. Thus we have the obligation
to develop our physical, emotional, intellectual and
spiritual capacities to their fullest. The importance of
the concept of responsibility towards attaining
self-realization cannot be overlooked.
* * * *
* * * * * *
The expert-group, which was
convened in Vienna in April 1997, worked on a declaration
of human responsibilities. The results of this work were
summarized and condensed by the three academic advisors;
Prof. Thomas Axworthy, Prof. Kim Kyong-dong and Prof. Hans
Küng. Prof. Küng provided a very helpful first draft as
the starting point for the discussion. They made
recommendations to Helmut Schmidt, who chaired the
meeting, Andries van Agt and Miguel de la Madrid. Oscar
Arias, a member of the Council, who could not be present,
contributed a welcome substantive paper.
(DOWNLOAD:
"Some Contributions to a Universal Declaration of Human
Obligations" by Oscar Arias. )
The results of
this work are contained in the draft proposal for the
United Nations entitled ''A Universal Declaration of Human
Responsibilities.'' The group submits with pleasure the
attached draft to the InterAction Council and the world
community at large.