Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Atrocities of World War II
Prior to, during and following World War II, horrible atrocities and human rights violations—which the international community of the United Nations hoped to eradicate—were committed. Such resulted in the necessity to supplement the founding Charter of 1945 with "a road map to guarantee the rights of every individual everywhere."
"...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..." -Excerpt from the Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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Adoption of the Declaration
The first draft revision of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights occurred at the United Nations General Assembly in 1946. However, the draft was not proposed until September 1948, with over 50 Member States participating in the final drafting. On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly, meeting in Paris, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“I perceived clearly that I was participating in a truly significant historic event in which a consensus had been reached as to the supreme value of the human person, a value that did not originate in the decision of a worldly power, but rather in the fact of existing—which gave rise to the inalienable right to live free from want and oppression and to fully develop one’s personality. In the Great Hall...there was an atmosphere of genuine solidarity and brotherhood among men and women from all latitudes, the like of which I have not seen again in any international setting.”
-Hernán Santa Cruz of Chile, member of the drafting sub-Committee of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights |
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Influence and Role of the Declaration
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights--recognizing that "basic rights and fundamental freedoms are inherent to all human beings, inalienable and equally applicable to everyone, and that every one of us is born free and equal in dignity and rights"--is considered by many to be the foundation and inspiration for human rights law. It has been applied to numerous historical and contemporary human rights issues while defending the basic human rights of children and adults alike.
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"...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."
-United Nations website |