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The risky reality to legally exist - A critical analysis on the notion of legal identity in International Human Rights Law

Kraft, Amelie LU (2021) LAGM01 20211
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
Around 20% of all people worldwide (1.5 billion) do not have an official and legally recognized document as proof of their identity. This affect, for example, their right to vote, to open a bank account, obtain formal employment or seek legal compensation. In other words, their lack of proof for their legal existence excludes them from participating in society on all various levels. This was acknowledged by the UN in the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a wide-ranging issue. In SDG target 16.9, states are by 2030 to ‘provide legal identity for all, including birth registration.’ However, the term ‘legal identity’ is not defined in international law, leaving legal identity as a vague concept in international human... (More)
Around 20% of all people worldwide (1.5 billion) do not have an official and legally recognized document as proof of their identity. This affect, for example, their right to vote, to open a bank account, obtain formal employment or seek legal compensation. In other words, their lack of proof for their legal existence excludes them from participating in society on all various levels. This was acknowledged by the UN in the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a wide-ranging issue. In SDG target 16.9, states are by 2030 to ‘provide legal identity for all, including birth registration.’ However, the term ‘legal identity’ is not defined in international law, leaving legal identity as a vague concept in international human rights law (IHRL). This thesis aims, therefore, to offer a better understanding of legal identity and its impacts in IHRL. This includes exploring and critically analysing relating norms in IHRL, the discourse in policymaking and research, as well as states’ implementations. A particular focus is situated in if legal identity facilitates individuals’ access to rights and services, as there have been argued by NGOs and scholars. In addition, legal identity in IHRL is analysed in light of the theory ‘différance’.

The thesis shows that there are several complex understandings of legal identity in international human rights law. Legal identity has been argued as a right, as a tool to realize rights, a concept dictating an individual’s relationship with the state, as a process ranking and excluding certain legal identities, as a concept reinforcing states’ power and, finally, a concept reflecting the power dynamics playing out in the international human rights system. These different understandings show various of impacts of legal identity on rights and obligations. What needs to be acknowledged is that legal identity cannot simply be understood as a mechanism for inclusion. The ambiguous meaning of legal identity, allowing wide discretion for the state, has made it a sitting duck for different agencies to use for justifying their interest, agencies which might have another agenda than that of the SDG’s to ‘leave no one behind’. (Less)
Popular Abstract (Swedish)
Omkring 20 procent av alla människor världen över (1,5 miljarder) har inte ett officiellt, juridiskt dokument som bevis på sin identitet. Detta påverkar till exempel deras rösträtt, att öppna ett bankkonto, få formell anställning eller söka juridisk ersättning. Deras brist på bevis på juridisk existens exkluderar dem alltså från att delta på samtliga nivåer i samhället. Denna omfattande problematik uppmärksammades av FN i antagandet av Agenda 2030s Globala Mål (Globala Målen). I mål 16.9 är stater till år 2030 skyldiga att "tillhandahålla juridisk identitet för alla, inklusive födelseregistrering." Uttrycket "juridisk identitet" existerar dock inte i folkrätten, vilket lämnar juridisk identitet som ett särskilt vagt begrepp i den... (More)
Omkring 20 procent av alla människor världen över (1,5 miljarder) har inte ett officiellt, juridiskt dokument som bevis på sin identitet. Detta påverkar till exempel deras rösträtt, att öppna ett bankkonto, få formell anställning eller söka juridisk ersättning. Deras brist på bevis på juridisk existens exkluderar dem alltså från att delta på samtliga nivåer i samhället. Denna omfattande problematik uppmärksammades av FN i antagandet av Agenda 2030s Globala Mål (Globala Målen). I mål 16.9 är stater till år 2030 skyldiga att "tillhandahålla juridisk identitet för alla, inklusive födelseregistrering." Uttrycket "juridisk identitet" existerar dock inte i folkrätten, vilket lämnar juridisk identitet som ett särskilt vagt begrepp i den internationella rätten om mänskliga rättigheter (IHRL). Denna uppsats syftar därför till att bättre förstå juridisk identitet och dess effekter i IHRL. Detta inkluderar att utforska och kritiskt analysera relaterade normer i IHRL, diskursen inom policys och forskning gällande staters implementering. Särskilt är fokus på om juridisk identitet underlättar den enskildes tillgång till rättigheter och förmåner, vilket har hävdats av icke-statliga organisationer och forskare. Dessutom analyseras juridisk identitet och IHRL mot bakgrund av teorin om ”différance”.

Uppsatsen visar att det finns flera komplexa förståelser av juridisk identitet i IHRL. Det har argumenterats som en rättighet, som ett verktyg för att förverkliga rättigheter, ett begrepp som dikterar en individs förhållande till staten, som en hierarkiskapande och exkluderande process, som ett begrepp som förstärker staternas makt och, dessutom, ett koncept som reflekterar de inneboende maktdynamikerna i IHRL. Dessa olika förståelser av juridisk identitet får effekter för rättigheter och skyldigheter. Det bör dock uppmärksammas att juridisk identitet inte bara kan förstås som en mekanism för inkludering. Den tvetydiga innebörden av juridisk identitet, vilket möjliggör ett stort handlingsutrymme för staten, har gjort det till ett öppet mål för olika aktörer att använda för att motivera sin agenda, aktörer som inte sällan har en annan intention än Globala Målens ”lämna ingen utanför”. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Kraft, Amelie LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGM01 20211
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
legal identity, international human rights law, social inclusion, SDG 16.9, différance, critical legal analysis.
language
English
id
9052487
date added to LUP
2021-07-12 12:46:20
date last changed
2021-07-12 12:46:20
@misc{9052487,
  abstract     = {{Around 20% of all people worldwide (1.5 billion) do not have an official and legally recognized document as proof of their identity. This affect, for example, their right to vote, to open a bank account, obtain formal employment or seek legal compensation. In other words, their lack of proof for their legal existence excludes them from participating in society on all various levels. This was acknowledged by the UN in the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a wide-ranging issue. In SDG target 16.9, states are by 2030 to ‘provide legal identity for all, including birth registration.’ However, the term ‘legal identity’ is not defined in international law, leaving legal identity as a vague concept in international human rights law (IHRL). This thesis aims, therefore, to offer a better understanding of legal identity and its impacts in IHRL. This includes exploring and critically analysing relating norms in IHRL, the discourse in policymaking and research, as well as states’ implementations. A particular focus is situated in if legal identity facilitates individuals’ access to rights and services, as there have been argued by NGOs and scholars. In addition, legal identity in IHRL is analysed in light of the theory ‘différance’.

The thesis shows that there are several complex understandings of legal identity in international human rights law. Legal identity has been argued as a right, as a tool to realize rights, a concept dictating an individual’s relationship with the state, as a process ranking and excluding certain legal identities, as a concept reinforcing states’ power and, finally, a concept reflecting the power dynamics playing out in the international human rights system. These different understandings show various of impacts of legal identity on rights and obligations. What needs to be acknowledged is that legal identity cannot simply be understood as a mechanism for inclusion. The ambiguous meaning of legal identity, allowing wide discretion for the state, has made it a sitting duck for different agencies to use for justifying their interest, agencies which might have another agenda than that of the SDG’s to ‘leave no one behind’.}},
  author       = {{Kraft, Amelie}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The risky reality to legally exist - A critical analysis on the notion of legal identity in International Human Rights Law}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}