The world community, realizing the importance of social rights and freedoms for human beings along with other types of this legal institution, has taken and is taking preventive measures to recognize them in different states regardless of the existing socio-economic conditions or political system and to enshrine their list in national legislation. These measures constitute the legal formulation of the system of social human rights in international legal acts. The reflection of social rights in international acts on human rights, representing international standards of law, is a certain standard for countries of the world to harmonize national legislation in the social sphere. The actual implementation of this category of human rights, of course, has a direct dependence on the socio-economic indicators of state development, due to the well-known axiom about the formation of the superstructure in accordance with the basis, but the commitment of countries to the legal principles of the civilized world determines their reflection in national legal norms. In this aspect we note that the Statute of the International Court of Justice of the UN (article 38) uses the concept of “general principles of law recognized by civilized nations”. which express generally recognized norms of conduct of subjects of international law.
Beginning the analysis of international acts on human rights from the point of view of their reflection of the system of social rights and freedoms, it is advisable to pay attention to the type and nature of documents of the UN, UNESCO, ILO, international congresses, conferences and other forums, which formulate human rights principles, since these documents have different legal force. For example, declarations, principles, guidelines, standard rules and recommendations are not legally binding, but they can have an undeniable moral and political impact on States and provide practical guidance for the implementation of their domestic policies. The significance of such instruments lies in the fact that they are recognized and accepted by a significant number of States, and, despite their non-binding nature, they are documents that affirm generally accepted principles in the international legal dimension.
International instruments such as conventions, covenants, and protocols are characterized by binding force on states that have ratified and acceded to them. Participating States are obliged to implement, or at least to strive to implement, the norms and provisions enshrined in such international instruments.
As for treaties adopted in the framework of the United Nations, they are open for signing and ratification by all states, while regional treaties may be adopted only if the state is a member of the relevant regional international organization as a full member, for example, of the European Union.
According to paragraph 3 of Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations, the purpose of this organization is to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of economic, social, cultural and humanitarian character. In accordance with this purpose this international organization is directly involved in international legal regulation in the social sphere, which is expressed in the development of international standards in the field of labor and social security. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms, adopted by the UN in 1948, is one of the most important and significant international documents on human rights, which for the first time reflected, along with other types of rights, social rights. The norms of the Declaration are not legally binding, but they have been extrapolated into the vast majority of the world’s constitutions adopted since World War II. Moreover, the preamble to the Declaration proclaims that “the General Assembly proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a task to be pursued by all peoples and all States…. In other words, it is the duty of the signatory states to ensure the realization of the rights proclaimed in the Declaration. Articles 22-27 of the Declaration reflect the norms aimed at ensuring social justice, freedom from want, and participation in social, economic, and cultural life.