Abstract:
The absence of a specific right to one’s own name in early international
human rights treaties seems perplexing in the twenty-first century until
one appreciates the historical and legal contexts which initially made this
omission almost unavoidable. The growing importance of human rights
in international law, of the obligation to recognize and respect individual
identity, as well as the generality of certain human rights standards such as
the prohibition of discrimination, the right to private life, and the right to
a name, have led to an evolution in the understanding and interpretation
of these standards in more recent years. It is now increasingly accepted in
international law and state practice that individuals are generally entitled
to state recognition and use of their own names—including names in a
language which may not be official.
