Human Rights Day

“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.” — Nelson Mandela

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December, which the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. The UDHR is a climacteric document that proclaims the inviolable rights that everyone is authorised to as a human being — regardless of colour, race, sex, religion, language, political or other opinions, property, or national or social origin, birth or another status. It is available in more than 500 languages and globally the most translated document.

This year’s Human Rights Day theme is “Equality, Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights.” and it relates to Article 1 of the UDHR — “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

The principles of equality and non-discrimination are the heart of human rights. Equality is aligned with the 2030 Agenda and with the UN practice set out in the document Shared Framework on Leaving No One Behind: Equality and Non-Discrimination at the Heart of Sustainable Development. This comprises addressing and uncovering solutions for deep-rooted forms of prejudice that have affected the most vulnerable communities, including women and girls, indigenous peoples, people of African descent, LGBTI people, migrants, and people with disabilities.

Equality, inclusion and non-discrimination, in other words, is a human rights-based approach to development and is the best way to lessen inequalities and resume our path towards realising the 2030 Agenda.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights empowers us all. The principles glorified in the Declaration are as relevant today as they were in 1948. We need to stand up for our rights and those of others. We can take action in our daily lives to uphold the rights that protect us all and thereby boost the kinship of all human beings.

The Declaration consists of a preamble and 30 articles that set out a wide range of fundamental human rights and freedoms to which all worldwide are entitled. It ensures our rights without recognition of nationality, place of residence, language, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, or any other status.

Equality and non-discrimination are the keys to preventing some of the most significant global crises of our time. Human rights have the power to tackle the core causes of conflict and crisis by addressing resentments, eliminating inequalities and exclusion and allowing people to experience decision making that affects their lives.