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Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A Milestone in Human Rights History
On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly in Paris proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), marking a significant milestone in the recognition and proclamation of fundamental human rights universally.
The UDHR was created as a response to the atrocities of World War II and the Holocaust, with the aim to establish common standards of rights and freedoms for all people, regardless of race, religion, nationality, or other status.
Historical Background
The concept of human rights evolved significantly after World War II, replacing earlier ideas like natural rights and rights of Man. This transition was influenced by legal, philosophical, and social developments dating back to the decline of European feudalism, Renaissance, and events like the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.
Earlier documents and legal traditions such as the Magna Carta (1215), English Bill of Rights (1689), and the work of thinkers like Thomas Aquinas and Hugo Grotius contributed to the ideas of inherent and inalienable rights. After WWII, UNESCO contributed by drafting philosophical principles and conducting surveys to help clarify and support the creation of a universal declaration. The new United Nations system prioritized creating a global framework for human rights as part of rebuilding international order post-war.
Significant Figures and Contributions
The UDHR was drafted by a committee of international experts from various continents and major religions. Notable contributors included Eleanor Roosevelt, who chaired the drafting committee, and figures influenced by leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi. The committee aimed to balance civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights as indivisible and interconnected, forming a comprehensive rights catalogue covering equality before the law, freedom from torture and arbitrary arrest, freedom of expression, the right to work, education, and others.
Philosophical and political input also came from UNESCO’s Sub-commission on Philosophy and Humanistic Studies, led by thinkers like Julian Huxley, who emphasized a global culture and unified human rights principles.
Summary of Importance
The UDHR does not itself create legally binding obligations but is regarded as a common standard for all nations and peoples. It has influenced national constitutions, international law, and human rights treaties, and its provisions are widely used as a benchmark in courts and by human rights institutions. It serves as the cornerstone of the International Bill of Human Rights and is the most translated document in the world, symbolizing universal recognition of human dignity and freedom.
In brief, the UDHR emerged from the post-WWII context to create a global, inclusive framework for human rights, developed by an international expert committee, with leading figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt playing central roles in its drafting and adoption. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrines the inalienable rights for all, regardless of various factors such as race, color, religion, etc. The convoy of cars draped with Syrian flags were driving through the centre of Amsterdam two Sundays ago at 4.30am, symbolizing the hope for a future where human rights are respected and upheld.
In the aftermath of World War II, as the United Nations sought to reestablish international order, policy-and-legislation regarding war-and-conflicts and human rights became a priority. This led to the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was drafted by a committee of international experts, including Eleanor Roosevelt, and influenced by philosophies, political ideologies, and social developments.
General-news reported that on a recent Sunday morning in Amsterdam, a convoy of cars bearing Syrian flags drove through the city center at 4:30 am, symbolizing a hope for a future where human rights, as outlined in the UDHR, are respected and upheld for all peoples, regardless of race, religion, or nationality.
