What Is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Definition

Humphrey is credited with writing the "draft" of the statement, while Cassin wrote the first draft. [27] Both received considerable contributions from other members, each reflecting different professional and ideological backgrounds. The family phrases of the statement are said to have come from Cassin and Malik, who were influenced by the Christian Democratic movement; [28] Malik, a Christian theologian, was known to appeal across religious boundaries as well as to various Christian sects. [29] Chang lobbied to remove all references to religion to make the document more universal, and used aspects of Confucianism to settle deadlocks in negotiations. [30] Hernán Santa Cruz of Chile, an educator and judge, strongly supported the inclusion of socio-economic rights, which had been rejected by some Western countries. [29] Those who defend the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the highest or only model of a Charter of Equality and Freedom for all peoples must be reminded that, given the Western origin and orientation of this Declaration, the "universality" of the assumptions on which it is based is – at least – problematic and questioned. In addition, the alleged incompatibility between the concept of human rights and religion in general or certain religions such as Islam must be examined impartially. [108] The UDHR is the cornerstone of the rights that Amnesty and its seven-million-dollar power base fight for day in and day out. More than 50 years after our founding, we continue to defend justice, freedom, truth and dignity wherever they have been denied. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an important milestone in the history of human rights. The Declaration, drafted by representatives of different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 as a common standard of implementation for all peoples and nations. while the Member States have undertaken to promote, in cooperation with the United Nations, universal respect for and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national courts in the event of acts contrary to the fundamental rights recognised by the Constitution or the law. Faisal Kutty, a Canadian Muslim human rights activist, states that "it can be argued that the current formulation of international human rights represents a cultural structure in which Western society easily feels at home.

It is important to recognize and appreciate that other societies may have equally valid alternative notions of human rights. [109] Learn more about how we investigate the government`s performance against United Nations human rights treaties. 10 December, the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration, is celebrated annually as World Human Rights Day or International Human Rights Day. The commemoration is celebrated by individuals, communities and religious groups, human rights organizations, parliaments, governments and the United Nations. Ten-year commemorations are often accompanied by awareness-raising campaigns on the Declaration and human rights in general. The year 2008 marked the 60th anniversary of the Declaration and was accompanied by one-year activities on the theme "Dignity and justice for us all". [54] Similarly, the 70th anniversary in 2018 was marked by the global #StandUpForHumanRights youth campaign. [55] While, in the Charter, the peoples of the United Nations reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in equality between men and women, and decided to promote social progress and a better standard of living in greater freedom, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights formulates fundamental rights and freedoms for all. The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration on December 10, 1948. Most of the Muslim-majority countries that were then members of the United Nations signed the declaration in 1948, including Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, and Syria; Turkey, which had a predominantly Muslim population but an officially secular government, also voted in favour. [99] Saudi Arabia was the only one to abstain from the declaration among Muslim nations, claiming that it violated Sharia law.

[100] Pakistan, officially an Islamic republic, signed the declaration and criticized the Saudi position[101] and strongly advocated for the inclusion of religious freedom. [102] All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and must meet in a spirit of fraternity. The UDHR was created by the newly created United Nations on 10 September. December 1948 in response to the "barbaric acts that [...] outraged the conscience of humanity" during World War II.