The development of human rights has been expressed in terms of 'generations': The civil and political rights, as the first generation rights economic, social and cultural rights as the second generation rights and the group or people's rights, which are recently defined as the third generation rights. And, it held states responsible for individual rights and accountable for abuse of those rights.
Thus the international human rights law evolved to protect individuals' autonomy vis-à-vis the state. The concept of human rights evolved largely from ideas of western political theory about rights of individuals to autonomy and freedom.