Abstract
Human rights are grounds for obligations. This chapter reviews the methods by which international human rights treaties oblige states to promote and secure rights. Two prominent approaches to the determination of obligations are discussed. First, the tripartite typology that calls on states to respect, protect, and fulfil human rights is examined. Second, the chapter considers the distinction between absolute norms and those that may be subject to justifiable and proportionate limitation or derogation. Finally, the chapter discusses how globalization impacts our understanding of human rights obligations: from the importance of extraterritorial obligations to different models for monitoring and accountability which affect how obligations are understood and specified.
