Reinforcing Participatory Governance Through International Human Rights Obligations of Political Parties

Contemporary human rights law has seen direct international obligations extended to armed groups and businesses. This Article argues that international human rights obligations are crystallizing with respect to a further category of nonstate actor, political parties, albeit only in relation to polit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Harvard human rights journal 2015-04, Vol.28 (1), p.147
Main Author: Wood, Tim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Governance
Human rights
International law
Obligations
Political participation
Political parties
Political power
Transnationalism
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Summary:Contemporary human rights law has seen direct international obligations extended to armed groups and businesses. This Article argues that international human rights obligations are crystallizing with respect to a further category of nonstate actor, political parties, albeit only in relation to political participation rights. After briefly examining the largely procedural nature and scope of those rights under international law, this Article surveys existing international and transnational sources of obligations of political parties, including both those in power and in opposition. In an effort to buttress these sources and encourage their proliferation, this Article then considers rationales for such obligations, building in part upon the rationales for human rights obligations of businesses and armed groups. Finally, the Article offers some thoughts on possible means of implementing political parties' emerging international obligations in respect of political participation rights.
ISSN:1057-5057
1943-5088