For clarification bimmylee, if I understand your question correctly, your not asking who wrote about them or what society passed them first, but where the notion of morality and the consideration for the rights of other human beings arrises, be it religions, rational or emotional, right?

Because I don't know about the written codification or societal trends. But the notion of human rights is probably as old as humanity itself. Fortunately, the recent trend in history towards rational thought has helped to reinforce that small voice in our underdeveloped brains

Hopefully some day society can fully grasp and honour human rights.

your house

It probably depends on the rights. A lot of our democratic process comes from the Greeks originally. But the tyranny of the majority doesn't neccesarily make a society that cares about the rights of the individual.

And yes I'm aware that having the vote isn't neccesarily applicable to having rights. Though the right to vote is definetely one thats held up high. Other rights I'm not sure about.

Depends on what you mean.

The greater apes display quite a few signs of morality which is the basis of human rights.