The Concept of Dignity in International Law

Summary The first aims of the article is to trace the origins of the notion of human dignity in international law. It is emphasized that the concept of human dignity appeared in international law relatively late, in 1940s. and such concepts as “principle of humanity” or “laws of humanity”, used in the 19th century, are not identical with and do not even have to include human dignity. Moreover, a very different concept of “dignity of sovereign states” existed in international law from Vattel’s time until the 20 th century. Nowadays, human dignity appears in international law as a value, legal principle and law. However, the right to dignity is less often explicitly mentioned in international law documents than the principle of human dignity. The minimum content of human dignity appears to include the recognition of the intrinsic value and moral autonomy of every human being.