Human Rights 365 - every day is a human rights day
12th January 2015
This year’s Human Rights Day theme, Human Rights 365, stressed the importance of recognizing every day as a human rights day. It highlighted the key principle that human rights are for everyone, everywhere, and at all times. Human rights defenders worldwide have posted their messages on the video sharing platform Vine to celebrate the event. The UN Secretary-General has called for everyone to speak out and denounce authorities who deny the rights to any person on the basis of class, opinion or sexual orientation. Ban Ki-moon said: “Everyone can advance the struggle against injustice, intolerance and extremism.”
In 1950, the UN General Assembly declared 10 December as Human Rights Day in order to raise awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a fundamental milestone in the history of human rights. It was drafted by representatives from different legal and cultural backgrounds, from all over the world, and was intended as a common rights framework and standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations.
Since the Declaration was adopted, people around the world have gained more freedom. The UDHR has been effective in preventing violations. It has protected people from torture, unjustified imprisonment, execution and discrimination. In addition, it has supported access to education, employment, healthcare and cultural traditions.
The sustained commitments of the UDHR include:
In 1950, the UN General Assembly declared 10 December as Human Rights Day in order to raise awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a fundamental milestone in the history of human rights. It was drafted by representatives from different legal and cultural backgrounds, from all over the world, and was intended as a common rights framework and standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. Since the Declaration was adopted, people around the world have gained more freedom. The UDHR has been effective in preventing violations. It has protected people from torture, unjustified imprisonment, execution and discrimination. In addition, it has supported access to education, employment, healthcare and cultural traditions.
The sustained commitments of the UDHR include:
- The Convention against Torture which has reached its 30th anniversary this year, the Convention on the Rights of the Child which turns 25 and the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, which in 2015 will turn 50.
- The Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has gained momentum since 2008. Through the UPR process all United Nations member States’ human rights records are reviewed once every four years. This has led to increased awareness of human rights situations worldwide.
- States have made progress in realising UPR recommendations to protect the rights of migrants, advancing the Millennium Development Goals, enhancing measures for child protection, condemning discrimination, creating mechanisms to address corruption, addressing violence against women, tackling the gender pay gap, and introducing measures to prevent torture.