Do I have any obligations?

It is commonly known that with rights, you also have obligations. Your obligations in the area of human rights grow out of a very basic principle: if you respect others, others will respect you, too.

Respect towards others

It is your responsibility to respect others: both the people around you and other members of society in general. Respect can mean several things: to be tolerant, not to unfairly discriminate against those who are different, to be helpful and kind and so on. Treating others in this way will generally improve the environment where you spend your daily life.

Balancing rights

More concretely, when you exercise your rights, try to respect the boundaries where the rights of others may be infringed. It does not mean that you are significantly restricted or that your rights are less important. But you can try to balance your interests with those of others so that everyone can enjoy his or her rights peacefully.

example If you decide to express your opinion about a social or political matter on the internet, do not use derogative language and do not make personal accusations.

Cooperation

Finally, if you have complained somewhere about a violation of your rights, you have a duty to cooperate. Often when complaining about a human rights violation, you will need to write an official complaint in one or another format. It is your task to explain what you know and what could be relevant in as much detail as possible. If the institutions that are considering your complaint need more information, it is in your interests to try to provide as much information as you can.

Last updated 29/06/2023