ABSTRACT

International human rights treaties have proliferated in the international sphere at increasing rates since the introduction of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the United Nations in 1948. And yet, international human rights law appears to have had minimal impact on state behavior. Using examples from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, this essay explores the impact of the ratification of core human rights treaties on diplomacy, with a focus on the 1990s and 2000s. While ratification of many international human rights treaties across MENA has not resulted in significant changes in law and policy with respect to compliance, the process has had important effects, particularly in changing the language and understanding of human rights in relation to Islam. This essay examines the impact of UN human rights treaties in the MENA region as seen in the diplomatic discourses that focused on Islam and human rights, suggesting that international law may have the potential to shape the language and concept of human rights.