Universal Declaration of Human Rights | United Nations (2024)

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Universal Declaration of Human Rights | United Nations (1) Peace, dignity and equality
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has beentranslated into over 500 languages.The UDHRis widely recognized as having inspired, and paved the way for, the adoption of more than seventy human rights treaties, applied today on a permanent basis at global and regional levels (all containing references to it in their preambles).

Preamble

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore,

The General Assembly,

Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11

  1. Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
  2. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13

  1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
  2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14

  1. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
  2. This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15

  1. Everyone has the right to a nationality.
  2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16

  1. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
  2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
  3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17

  1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
  2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20

  1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
  2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21

  1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
  2. Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
  3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23

  1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
  2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
  3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
  4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25

  1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circ*mstances beyond his control.
  2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26

  1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
  2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
  3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27

  1. Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
  2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29

  1. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
  2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
  3. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

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Universal Declaration of Human Rights | United Nations (2024)

FAQs

Universal Declaration of Human Rights | United Nations? ›

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, it set out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.

What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations? ›

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, it set out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.

Is the United Nations Declaration on human rights legally binding? ›

The Declaration is not, in itself, a legally binding instrument. However, it contains a series of principles and rights that are based on human rights standards enshrined in other international instruments that are legally binding – such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights apply to all countries? ›

The UDHR is, as its title suggests, universal – meaning it applies to all people, in all countries around the world. Although it is not legally binding, the protection of the rights and freedoms set out in the Declaration has been incorporated into many national constitutions and domestic legal frameworks.

When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been adopted by United Nations? ›

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, was the result of the experience of the Second World War.

What is the purpose of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a historic document which outlined the rights and freedoms everyone is entitled to. It was the first international agreement on the basic principles of human rights. It laid the foundation for the human rights protections that we have in the UK today.

Why is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights important? ›

Adopted in 1948, the UDHR has inspired a rich body of legally binding international human rights treaties. It continues to be an inspiration to us all whether in addressing injustices, in times of conflicts, in societies suffering repression, and in our efforts towards achieving universal enjoyment of human rights.

Which countries have not signed the Universal Declaration human rights? ›

Adoption. The Universal Declaration was adopted by the General Assembly as UN Resolution A/RES/217(III)[A] on 10 December 1948 in Palais de Chaillot, Paris. Of the 58 United Nations members at the time, 48 voted in favour, none against, eight abstained, and Honduras and Yemen failed to vote or abstain.

How many countries have signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

Today there are 192 member states of the UN, all of whom have signed on in agreement with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

What are the 7 main international human rights treaties? ›

Timeline of Major International Human Rights Treaties
  • 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Universal Declaration) ...
  • 1948 Genocide Convention. ...
  • 1951 Refugee Convention. ...
  • 1960 Discrimination in Employment Convention. ...
  • 1966 Racial Discrimination Convention. ...
  • 1966 Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Covenant.

What is the controversy with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

The UDHR has been subject to criticisms due to its supposed ethnocentrism and rhetoric, reflecting strong western influences. The first article of the Declaration states that 'all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

What rights are missing from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

Society's youngest and most vulnerable — children — were overlooked. For all of its commitments to rights, among them universal education, the UDHR failed to enshrine and secure basic protections for children. Child labor and trafficking went unmentioned, child marriage was ignored, and child abuse overlooked.

What is an example of one article of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. (2) Everyone, without any discrimi- nation, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

Which organ of the uno directly concerned with human rights? ›

The principal UN Charter Body responsible for human rights is the Human Rights Council (HRC).

What was the purpose of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights quizlet? ›

The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights was created in 1948. Its purpose is to declare a certain set of rights as universal to all human beings. Specifically, it lists the rights that the United Nations believes should be given to all humans simply because they are human.

Who invented the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

In February 1947, in accordance with a decision from the first session of the Commission on Human Rights (E/259), a group consisting of Eleanor Roosevelt, Pen-Chun Chang and Charles Malik, began drafting the International Bill of Human Rights.

What does Article 28 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights mean? ›

Article 28: Right to a Free and Fair World

Article 28 says, in its entirety, that "everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized."

What are the 2 main international conventions on human rights? ›

In December 1966, the UN General Assembly adopted two international treaties that would further shape international human rights: the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

What are the 5 basic human rights? ›

Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.

What are the most important rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

How did the Universal Declaration of Human Rights change the world? ›

“While human rights abuses did not end when the Universal Declaration was adopted, the Declaration has helped countless people to gain greater freedom and security. It has helped to prevent violations, obtain justice for wrongs, and strengthen national and international human rights laws and safeguards.”

Which countries voted against the UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples? ›

In a historic vote on September 13, 2007, 144 countries voted for the Declaration, 11 abstained, and only four (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States) voted against it.

Which three countries refused to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948? ›

Roosevelt. In all, 48 nations voted in favor and none against. Eight abstained: six communist nations, led by the Soviet Union, plus South Africa and Saudi Arabia.

Has China signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

China has ratified or joined 26 international human rights instruments, including 6 core UN human rights treaties, and successfully participated in three rounds of Universal Periodic Review of the HRC, becoming a role model of compliance.

What are three international human rights treaties that the US has ratified? ›

COUNTRYCOUNTRYTreaty Name
United States of AmericaUnited States of AmericaCED, Art.32
United States of AmericaUnited States of AmericaCEDAW
United States of AmericaUnited States of AmericaCERD
United States of AmericaUnited States of AmericaCESCR
11 more rows

Who enforces international law? ›

International Court of Justice

This main body of the UN settles legal disputes submitted to it by States in accordance with international law.

What are the three international human rights law? ›

The main accomplishment of the Commission was the elaboration and near-universal acceptance of the three major international human rights instruments: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, ...

What is one weakness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

As noted above, one of the weaknesses of the Declaration is that there is some duplication, eg teacher training and other issues have not been dealt with in as much depth as they warrant.

Why did the Soviet Union oppose the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

The USSR and other countries in the Soviet Bloc had abstained from affirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), saying that it was "overly juridical" and potentially infringed on national sovereignty.

Is the UDHR still relevant today? ›

Despite not being legally-binding, the protection of the rights and freedoms the UDHR sets out has been incorporated into many national constitutions and domestic legal frameworks.

What country violates human rights the most? ›

In a scale from zero to 10, where zero represents the best conditions and 10 the worst, Yemen had the highest points and was closely followed by Iran, and China.

What is one 1 example of a breach of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Australia? ›

When an Australian Court orders the release of an asylum seeker from detention because detention of such person is found to be illegal, the Australian government further breaches this article by refusing to issue a visa to this person.

What is the Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

What is an example of a breach of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

Denying services and information about health (the right to health) Discriminating at work based on traits like race, gender, and sexual orientation (The right to work) Failing to provide maternity leave (protection of and assistance to the family) Not paying a sufficient minimum wage (rights at work)

Which of the following is violation of human rights? ›

Denial of right to information, child marriages and cruelty to domestic servants are all different manifestations of human rights violations.

What does Article 30 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights mean? ›

Article 30 has been called "limits on tyrants." It gives all of us freedom from State or personal interference in the rights in all the preceding Articles. However, it also stresses that we may not exercise these rights in contravention of the purposes of the United Nations.

How has the UN failed to protect human rights? ›

And a key weakness of UN human rights bodies is that, while they are set up for dialogue and engagement, they lack the teeth to effectively protect rights where a state is not willing to cooperate. Unlike the Security Council, human rights bodies do not have enforcement powers.

Who controls the UN? ›

The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a 5-year, renewable term. The current Secretary-General, and the 9th occupant of the post, is António Guterres of Portugal, who took office on 1 January 2017.

What is the role of the UN in protecting human rights? ›

The UN plays a crucial role in defining, promoting and protecting human rights. It helps maintain the agreed global standards, identify violations, pursue remedy and encourage improvement.

What rights are affirmed by the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights quizlet? ›

UN adopts the UDHR, has significant force in the international community. Includes rights to work, education, property, speech, religion, nationality, marriage, family, freedom from slavery, torture, etc.

What did the Universal Declaration of Human Rights say was a basic human right quizlet? ›

A 1948 statement in which the United Nations declared that all human beings have rights to life, liberty, and security.

What are the 30 articles of Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

Those 30 articles currently known as 30 universal declaration of human rights or 30 basic human rights, including rights to life, rights to education, rights to organize and rights to treated fair among others things. The 30 universal human rights also cover up freedom of opinion, expression, thought and religion.

What is the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights quizlet? ›

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A 1948 statement in which the United Nations declared that all human beings have rights to life, liberty, and security.

What are the 3 basic human rights? ›

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

What countries did not accept the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

Some non-western nations such as Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the Soviet bloc were not as willing to participate in the process as others. These states abstained from voting for the document, for reasons later made public.

Who hasn't signed the human rights Declaration? ›

Most Muslim-majority countries including Egypt, Iran and Pakistan signed the UDHR in 1948, but crucially Saudi Arabia, where the King must comply with Shari'a and the Qur'an, did not sign the declaration, arguing that it violated Islamic law and criticising it for failing to take into consideration the cultural and ...

How has the United Nations worked to protect human rights around the world? ›

The UN Security Council, at times, deals with grave human rights violations, often in conflict areas. The UN Charter gives the Security Council the authority to investigate and mediate, dispatch a mission, appoint special envoys, or request the Secretary-General to use his good offices.

What is the Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of human rights quizlet? ›

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of ...

What was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Genocide Convention? ›

The Genocide Convention was the first human rights treaty adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9 December 1948 and signified the international community's commitment to 'never again' after the atrocities committed during the Second World War.

What rights are affirmed by the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights? ›

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

What is the goal of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ?( human rights and the age of inequality? ›

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 75

This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

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