Ethics, human rights and politics: Recognising the interface

Abstract

Politics is the predominant sector in any state and society, notwithstanding their nature. All walks of life are influenced by politics directly or indirectly. It is immaterial whether the state is authoritarian, a military dictatorship, monarchical, autocratic or democratic. But it is an experiential truism that ethics and human rights are best defended in a democracy, particularly an electoral one. Although there are international human rights norms and ethical standards containing a number of fundamental criteria for politics, free and genuine elections, there is not much scholarly work highlighting the interface between ethics, human rights and politics. This essay seeks to contribute to filling that gap.