Fantasy world

Human Rights Day is annually observed December 10 to mark the anniversary of the presentation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

On December 10, 1948, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This represented a shift in a world coping with the legacy of the holocaust, colonialism and inequality within and between countries.


What do people do?

Events focused on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are held worldwide on and around December 10. Many events aim to educate people, especially children and teenagers, on their human rights and the importance of upholding these in their own communities and further afield.

The day may also include protests to alert people of circumstances in parts of the world where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not recognized or respected, or where the importance of these rights are not considered to be important. Cultural events are also organized to celebrate the importance of human rights through music, dance, drama or fine art.


Background

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted between January 1947 and December 1948. It aimed to form a basis for human rights all over the world and represented a significant change of direction from events during World War II and the continuing colonialism that was rife in the world at the time. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is considered as the most translated document in modern history. It is available in more than 360 languages and new translations are still being added.

The UN General Assembly adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, France, on the December 10, 1948. All states and interested organizations were invited to mark December 10 as Human Rights Day at a UN meeting on December 4, 1950. It was first observed on December 10 that year and has been observed each year on the same date.

Each year Human Rights Day has a theme. Recently, the themes have been: "Vision to bring about new equilibrium in international relations" (2002); "Knowing your human rights" (2003); "Human rights education" (2004); "Torture and the global efforts to combat it" (2005); "Fighting poverty: a matter of obligation, not charity" (2006); "Dignity and justice for all of us" (2007); and "Know your rights" (2008).


Message of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Day

December 10th marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On this historic occasion, we should reaffirm the fundamental principles that its inspired group of framers articulated. In the Universal Declaration they recalled the “disregard and contempt for human rights” that led to actions which “outraged the conscience of mankind” and they heralded the “advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want,” proclaiming this as “the highest aspiration of the common people.”

On this Human Rights Day, we also celebrate the 60 th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Drafted amid utter destruction and destitution following the Second World War, the Declaration reflects humanity’s aspirations for a future of prosperity, dignity and peaceful coexistence. Its adoption was a landmark. Today, the Declaration remains a core part of the UN’s very identity. The challenges we face today are as daunting as those that confronted the Declaration’s drafters.

* We face a food emergency and a global financial crisis.
* Humankind’s assault on the natural environment continues.
* There is political repression in too many countries.
* And as ever, the most vulnerable continue to be on the frontlines of hardship and abuse.

The luckiest among us, those who are spared the most negative effects of disaster, poverty or instability, cannot turn a blind eye. The cascading effects of abuse and indifference can eventually engulf the entire planet. Rights, and especially their violation, must hold the whole world in solidarity.

On this Human Rights Day, it is my hope that we will all act on our collective responsibility to uphold the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration. We can only honour the towering vision of that inspiring document when its principles are fully applied everywhere, for everyone.