Introduction The universality of human rights emerged during the 20th century with the UN Declaration of Human rights on the belief that the basic values and principles underlying the concept of human rights are of a universal nature. These values and principles included the concept of individual liberty and freedoms, the belief in democracy and political rights, the acknowledgement of social and economic right. Prior to these the idea of human rights has been restricted to class of individuals depending on status e.g. individual rights for white male in America. Currently there have been various debates both from scholars and government that human rights are not universal but that cultural diversity influences what obtains as human rights in non-western states. They argue that human rights put the individual above the community which goes against the communitarian values. My argument and examples will be pulled from the African context. Are Human Rights a Western Concept? This argument takes its basis on the fact that human rights are individualist and was imposed on non-western states as a condition for independence. It also that third world countries especially sub-Saharan Africa were not yet independent and not represented in the United Nations. Taken from the sub-Saharan African argument of non representation, this is almost a moot argument considering the fact that they have subsequently in future and present instruments confirmed and affirmed the universal declaration of human rights. Take for example the African Declaration for peoples and human rights, the preamble acknowledges drawing from universal declaration. The charter itself takes pride in blending universalism and cultural relativism at least in theory. The African Union constitutive Act and other instruments enacted all makes reference to affirming universal declaration of human rights. It is important to point out that the African Charter was not an imposition from the West nor was the AU Constitutive Act. These were documents purposely drafted and supervised by African leaders most of them dictators at the time. The other argument especially with the introduction of duties in African Charter was the curb the far reaching effect of individualism. This takes from the concept that the individual is been placed above the community. Human rights do not place the individual above the community but sets limits of the coercive powers. It is true that the idea of human rights first originated from the west but so did other things like technology and industrialization. The non-western states have not raised any arguments rejecting technology transfer; in fact they push for it and claim it as their right to development. So what is the actual problem? Does human rights as individual rights affect the cultural values and existence fro example in Africa. On a factual basis the African values has been deep into communal living, the individual been part and parcel of the community. So yes human rights as exercise by individual do have an impact on