Cultural Relativism - Use By Nations

Use By Nations

Several nations have used cultural relativism as a justification for limiting the rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A 2011 study by international legal expert Roger Lloret Blackburn, examining the Universal Periodic Reviews, distinguishes several different groups of nations. One group consists of nations where the current regime has been installed by revolution and that deny the need for political plurality: China, Viet Nam, Myanmar, Cuba and Iran. Another group are certain Islamic nations that deny equal rights for men and women and adhere to Sharia and certain traditional practices: Yemen, Iran, Pakistan. A third possible group, although different from the two other groups, are nations that give special rights to groups such as minorities: Malaysia, Mexico, Indonesia, and Colombia.