The position of refugees has been explained in The 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees as one who "Owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion is outside the country of their nationality and is unable or owing to such a fear, is unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country."

The history of human rights can be traced back to the ancient times, to the ancient Greeks. Even the Holy Bible, Quran and Vedas have suggestions on the basic duties and responsibilities of individuals and Governments. However, it was only after the World War II, that the need for the protection of human race was strongly felt with an increase in the brutality of the political power the world over.

Human Rights law is both domestic and international which is intended to promote Human Rights, which are universal legal guarantees protecting individuals against actions and omissions that interfere with fundamental freedom and human dignity. Human Rights have universal applicability. The instruments of Human Rights are an intrinsic part of legal rules governing wars and other emergency situations.

Child Labour is not a recent phenomenon. It has existed for centuries not only in the impoverished areas of developing countries, but also in developed countries. Children work on account of various problems, the most pressing being poverty and the induced pressure upon them to escape this plight. Though children are not well paid, they still serve as major contributors to the family income in developing countries

The ravages of war are well known but it is necessary that there is some sort of protection and restraint so that there is a humane approach to the fact and the consequences of war. Prior to the advent of contemporary humanitarian law, armed conflicts were regulated by unwritten rules based on customs, though they were applicable only to the extent of a particular battle or war. The feature of concern for humanitarian approach is not new and can be found even in the ancient epics like the Mahabharata