El Sistema Internacional de Derechos Humanos y los Subject of Lawfare
| Autor | Ivonne Liliana Tellez |
| Cargo | Profesora titular PUCE, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0562-9062 |
| Páginas | 159-192 |
159Revista Facultad de Jurisprudencia RFJ No.4 Diciembre 2018
El Sistema Internacional de Derechos Humanos
y los Subject of Lawfare
The International Human Rights System
and the Subject of Lawfare
Dra. Ivonne Téllez Patarroyo, Mgtr. (Autora Corresponsa l)
Profesora titular PUCE
Dr. Sebastián Yerovi Proaño, Mgtr.
Investigador FLACSO
Artículo Original (Científico)
RFJ, No. 4, 2018, pp. 159-192, ISSN 2588-0 837
RESUME N: la legalización de los asu ntos globales ha sido considerada
positiva en contras te con las condiciones que antecedieron a l a segunda
Guerra Mundia l. No más el interés particu lar puede imponerse frente al
interés común, no más l a coerción y la represión, no más las polític as del
poder domin ando el decision making. Se esperar ía que el reconocimiento
de un sistema lega l de los Derechos Humanos sirviera como ga rantía del
cumplimiento de los derechos en el i nterior de los Estados. Sin embargo,
el objetivo principal de este sistema legal en su genera lidad, que es me-
jorar bienestar de la población, no ha sido alcanzado en su totalidad, ni
ha llegado a todos los países y tod as las personas como se lo plantea . Este
artículo examina dos factores que podrían conf irmar esta aseveración.
El primero, la posible a mbigüedad del sistema a través de la debil idad de
los instru mentos y sus instituciones. E l segundo, el concepto de legitimi-
dad asociado al l awfare, que permitir ía el uso del Derecho Internacional
de los Derechos Humanos como estr ategia de poder.
En este orden de ideas, este ar tículo se organiza de la si guiente manera:
Primero, real izamos una división por categorí as que inicia en una revi-
sión general del sistema i nternacional de DDHH, las relaciones de acto-
res transn acionales, y presentamos algu nos ejemplos de los principales
instru mentos y de sus instit uciones asociadas. La segunda categoría,
discute el concepto de legitim idad asociado al concepto de law fare, a
la luz del Derecho Internacional y de las principales teorías de Coo-
160Revista Facultad de Jurisprudencia RFJ No.4 Diciembre 2018
peración Internaciona l. Sobre estas nociones teóricas, realizamos un
análisis del caso de la tortu ra en Estados Unidos a partir del año 2000.
Finalmente, presentamos u nas conclusiones y recomendaciones sobre
la estruct ura del sistema y su aplicación en el contexto inter nacional.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Derechos Humanos, cooperación internacional,
tortur a, poder político, normat iva.
AB STR ACT: the legalization of global affairs has been considered
positive, in contrast to the conditions preceding the Second World
War. No longer could individual interests be imposed against the
common interest, no longer was there coercion and repression, no
longer was decision making dominated by power polit ics. It would be
expected that the recognition of a Human R ights legal system would
serve as a gua rantee for the fulfillment of the rights within States.
The main object ive of this legal system in its generality, which is to
improve the well-being of the population, has not been reached in
its entirety, nor has it reached all countries and all people as it is
posed. Hence, this article examines two factors that could confirm
this ass ertion. The first is the s ystem’s possible ambiguity throug h the
weakness of the i nstruments and their i nstitutions. The second is the
concept of legitimacy associated with la wfare, wh ich would allow the
use of Internation al Human Rights Law as a p ower strategy.
In this order of ideas, this article is organized as follows: first, we
carry out a categorical division that begins with a general review
of the internationa l human rights system and the relationships of
transnational actors, and we then present various examples of the
primar y instru ments and their as sociated institutions. The second
category discu sses the concept of legitimacy associated with the
idea of lawfare, in light of International Law and the main theories
of International Cooperation. Based on these theoretical ideas, we
conducted an analysis of the cases of tortu re in the United States
since the year 2000. Finally, we present various conclusions and
recommendations regard ing the system’s structure and applic ation in
the inter national context.
KEY WORDS: Human Rights, inter national cooperation, torture,
politica l power, norm.
161Revista Facultad de Jurisprudencia RFJ No.4 Diciembre 2018
INTRODUCTION
The idea that Huma n Rights are not limited by borders, and that the
internationa l community is obliged to protect and guara ntee them,
is increasingly accepted. The end of the Cold War reaffirmed the
strugg le begun in 1945, and today neither states nor individuals who
violate human rights are exempted from prosecution. This does not
mean that the world is free from acts of barbari sm and that we do
not continue to witness systematic violations; nor, even, that we are
receiving opti mal response s from the rights protect ion system through
existing institutions. However, the very existence of a system that
seeks to impose restrictions on the absolute freedom of governments
to systematical ly violate human rights represents a substantial step
towards their strengthening.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the cornerstone of the
International Law of Human Rig hts (IL-HR). Adopted in 1948, it is the
document that i nspires an entire set of tre aties which has gradua lly come
to speciali ze in specific issues, and it conti nues to be the main reference
point in regards to the reco gnition of basic freedoms and huma n dignity.
The commitment acqui red by the States with this declaration was
transferred to the field of law, materializing in the system of norms a nd
principles contained i n treaties, related in struments a nd internationa l
custom, as well as in domestic law. All this legal material reveals a
growing tendency towards the strengthening of systems for human
rights protection throughout the world. The Declaration, which is an
exposition of principles rat her than a bindi ng legal instrument, has
a social value that goes beyond the purely legal istic. Its principles
have been inserted i nto the ideas of international political actors,
influencing their actions a nd decisions (Risse and Si kkink , 2007).
Following its appearance, the development and construction of
universal human rights norms continued, accompanied by the
creation of more national and international i nstitutions (Forsythe,
2006; OACDH, s/f).
In countries such as Yugoslavia and Rwanda, where internationa l
crimin al tribunals were created with t he authorization of the UN
Security Council, close interaction was seen between nat ional and
internationa l actors in search of justice in the face of serious human
rights viol ations. These events brought intern ational standard s to cases
of war crimes, crimes against human ity and acts of genocide. Along
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