Human Rights Day

THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS 70TH ANNIVERSARY WHAT IS IT?

In 2018, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will celebrate its 70th anniversary. It remains as relevant today as it was in 1948. To highlight what the Universal Declaration means for people in their everyday lives, UN Human Rights has launched a year-long campaign building on the existing Stand Up for Human Rights campaign. It will culminate on 10 December 2018.

PURPOSE OF CAMPAIGN:

To celebrate the unique Universal Declaration, and to highlight and reaffirm the importance of its enduring human rights principles and standards worldwide.

ABOUT THE DECLARATION AND ITS DRAFTERS. (For more information, see: http://research.un.org/en/undhr)

Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948, the Declaration was designed to prevent the repetition of the horrific human rights violations that had been committed during World War II.

Did you know? It was drafted by a diverse group of people from Australia, Canada, Chile, China, France, Lebanon, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States, including: 

• Eleanor Roosevelt was the first chair of the fledgling United Nation’s Commission on Human Rights;
• Chang Peng-Chun, the Chinese playwright, philosopher and diplomat was vice-chair of the commission;
• Dr Charles Malik, the Lebanese academic, philosopher, and ethicist who, as rapporteur, played a vital role in shaping the ethical contents of the UDHR.
• Rene Cassin, a jurist, judge, and legal advisor to Charles de Gaulle, played a major drafting role.
• The Declaration holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s most translated document, in over 500 languages.