Human Dignity and International Law

Book excerpt: Human dignity is a classical concept in public international law, and a core element of the human rights machinery built after the Second World War. This book reflects on the past, present and future of the concept of human dignity, focusing on the role of international lawyers in shaping the idea and their potential and actual role in protecting the rights of certain vulnerable groups of contemporary societies, such as migrant women at risk of domestic servitude, the LGB community and indigenous peoples.