Final answer:
The authors argue that global human rights standards are foundational yet challenging to enforce, as seen in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' impact dependent on varying political and legal contexts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main argument about efforts to establish a global human rights standard suggests that while there are widely accepted declarations like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the application and enforcement of these rights are not uniform due to varying political and legal philosophies across different nations. Organizations like the United Nations lead in advocating for human rights through declarations that all people deserve human rights and dignity, having created guiding principles that nations around the world are expected to follow.
However, the real power of such nonbinding declarations lies in the social and economic pressure that can be applied on noncompliant countries. While intangible, these measures can prove effective, as seen in the case of South Africa's abolition of apartheid after global economic sanctions. Yet, the imposition of what might be considered 'Western' values on diverse cultures raises questions of ethnocentrism and the applicability of a single set of standards to all.