A Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Author: Hanh Vu, LLM

December 10, 2025

[Image credit: FreeP!K]

Introduction

Human Rights Day is celebrated each year on December 10 to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Declaration”). The Declaration establishes universal standards for human rights and is recognized as the foundation of international human rights law.  It has been translated into 577 languages and has inspired the adoption of more than 80 human rights treaties and declarations.[1] As we celebrate Human Rights Day, it is important to understand the history of the Declaration, internalize its core principles, examine its enumerated rights, and reflect on its impact on international human rights.

History

The Second World War brought about the extermination of almost 17 million people, including six million Jews in the Holocaust, highlighting the sad reality that “human rights are not always universally respected.”[2] Soon after, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on December 10, 1948. This landmark document was the international community’s response to the atrocities of the war, aimed at preventing their recurrence.[3] The Declaration “enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being-regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”[4]

During its first session in February 1947, the UN Commission of Human Rights (UNCHR) charged the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and the Rapporteur, with the assistance of the Secretariat, with developing the draft International Bill of Human Rights. Members of the Drafting Committee included:

Eleanor Roosevelt, UNCHR Chairperson - United States

Peng-chun Chang, UNCHR Vice-Chair - China

Charles Habib Malik, UNCHR Rapporteur - Lebanon

William Hodgson, UNCHR Member - Australia

Hernan Santa Cruz, UNCHR Member - Chile

Rene Casin, UNCHR Member - France

Alexander Bogomolov, UNCHR Member - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Charles Dukes, UNCHR Member - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

John Humphrey, Director, UN Division of Human Rights – Canada[5]

Along with Eleanor Roosevelt as Chair, women delegates from different countries played a crucial role in shaping the Declaration, ensuring the inclusion of women’s rights. These delegates included:

Evdokia Uralova, Rapporteur of the Commission on the Status of Women to the Commission on Human Rights - Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic

Bodgil Begtrup, Chairperson of the Sub-Commission on the Status of Women (1946) and Commission on the Status of Women (1947) - Denmark

Minerva Bernardino, Diplomat and Feminist - Dominican Republic

Marie-Helene Lefaucheux, Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women (1948) - France

Hansa Mehta, UNHCR - India

Lakshmi Menon, UN Third Committee - India

Angela Jurdak, Sub-Commission on the Status of Women - Lebanon

Begum Shaista Ikramulah, UN Third Committee - Pakistan

Fryderyka Kalinoski, Sub-Commission on the Status of Women - Poland

Elizaveta Popova - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics[6]

Notably, these women delegates championed:

1. Changing of the phrase from “All men are born free and equal” to “All human beings are born free and equal” (Article 1).

2. Including the phrase “the equality of men and women” in the preamble.

3. Guaranteeing freedom, equality, and choice, as well as including equal rights in marriage (Article 16), aimed at combatting child and forced marriage.

4. Using “all” or “everyone” instead of “all men” when describing rights holders.

5. Adding “sex” as a basis for non-discrimination (Article 2).

6. Including Article 23: “Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.”

7. Emphasizing the rights of persons in non-self-governing territories (Article 2).[7]

The first draft of the Declaration was completed in September 1948. Fifty Member States participated in the final draft, also known as the Geneva draft, presented to the UNHCR in Geneva, Switzerland. The Declaration was ultimately adopted by UN General Assembly Resolution 217 (A) (III) in Paris, France. Eight nations abstained from voting, and none dissented.[8]

Principles

The core principles underpinning the Declaration are universality, interdependence and indivisibility, equality and non-discrimination, and rights and obligations.[9]

Universality - “Human rights are universal and inalienable.” All human beings are entitled to them.[10]

Interdependence and Indivisibility - Human rights are independent, interrelated, and indivisible. The fulfillment of one right depends, wholly or in part, upon others. All human rights are of equal status, and the denial of one impedes the enjoyment of others.[11]

Equality and Non-discrimination - All human beings are equal. No one should be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.[12]

Rights and Obligations - Human rights are both entitlements and responsibilities, involving both duty bearers and rights owners.[13]

Articles

The Declaration consists of 30 articles. Articles 1-5 establish the rights to equality, non-discrimination, life, liberty, and security of person. Articles 6-11 address equal protection of the law and fair judicial process. Articles 12-21 outline civil and political rights. Articles 22-27 describe economic, social, and cultural rights. Articles 28-29 focus on the right to social order, community duties, and protection against destruction of rights.[14]

Below is a summary of all 30 articles:

Article 1 - Right to Equality

Article 2 - Freedom from Discrimination

Article 3 - Right to Life, Liberty, Personal Security

Article 4 - Freedom from Slavery

Article 5 - Freedom from Torture and Degrading Treatment

Article 6 - Right to Recognition as a Person before the Law

Article 7 - Right to Equality before the Law

Article 8 - Right to Remedy by Competent Tribunal

Article 9 - Freedom from Arbitrary Arrest and Exile

Article 10 - Right to Fair Public Hearing

Article 11 - Right to be Considered Innocent until Proven Guilty

Article 12 - Freedom from Interference with Privacy, Family, Home and Correspondence

Article 13 - Right to Free Movement in and out of the Country

Article 14 - Right to Asylum in other Countries from Persecution

Article 15 - Right to a Nationality and the Freedom to Change It

Article 16 - Right to Marriage and Family

Article 17 - Right to Own Property

Article 18 - Freedom of Belief and Religion

Article 19 - Freedom of Opinion and Information

Article 20 - Right of Peaceful Assembly and Association

Article 21 - Right to Participate in Government and in Free Elections

Article 22 - Right to Social Security

Article 23 - Right to Desirable Work and to Join Trade Unions

Article 24 - Right to Rest and Leisure

Article 25 - Right to Adequate Living Standard

Article 26 - Right to Education

Article 27 - Right to Participate in the Cultural Life of Community

Article 28 - Right to a Social Order that Articulates this Document

Article 29 - Community Duties Essential to Free and Full Development

Article 30 - Freedom from State or Personal Interference in the above Rights[15]

Impact

Although it is a landmark document, the Declaration is not legally binding. However, it has profoundly shaped and guided the work of the UN. The fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Declaration directly relate to the three pillars of the UN—peace and security (e.g. right to life, security, and liberty of the person), development (e.g., rights to health and education), and human rights. “The Vision of the Secretary-General on Prevention” relies on the human rights framework. According to the Secretary-General, “the best prevention tool we have is the Declaration and treaties that derive from it, not least because almost every internal conflict in the world has human rights violations among its root causes.”[16]

While not legally binding, the Declaration has strengthened the international human rights movement. It has inspired legally binding international human rights treaties and declarations, regional conventions, domestic human rights bills, and national constitutional provisions. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights are two examples directly influenced by the Declaration. Together with the Declaration, these forms the International Bill of Human Rights.[17]

The influence of the Declaration in the decades since has been remarkable, playing a unique role in strides forward on women’s equality; in progress of education and health; in the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa; and, indeed, in the victories of independence over colonial rule. The Declaration also inspired a glorious flourishing of civil society, itself hugely instrumental in both developing and advancing the rights agenda.[18]

Despite this tremendous progress, human rights violations persist worldwide. As we celebrate the 77^th anniversary of the Declaration, we must reflect on its history, principles, enumerated rights, and global impact. Most importantly, we must renew our commitment to the inalienable rights it enshrines and call for their full realization, insisting on adherence to both the Declaration and international human rights law.

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Glossary

• Apartheid - A policy or practice of racial segregation and discrimination, particularly against non-white majority in South Africa.

• Enshrines - To preserve or cherish something (e.g., a right) in a form (e.g., law) that guarantees it will be protected and respected.

• Enumerated rights - Rights explicitly listed in generally a legal document.

• Inalienable - The inability to be taken away or surrendered by the possessor.

• Tribunal - A court of justice or forum with authority to adjudicate a particular matter.

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Footnotes/References

[1] Human Rights Day, United Nations (last visited September 28, 2025), https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day (hereinafter Article 1).

[2] What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Amnesty International (April 1, 2025), https://www.amnesty.org.uk/universal-declaration-human-rights-UDHR.

[3] Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations (last visited September 28, 2025), https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights (hereinafter Article 2).

[4] Article 1, supra note 1.

[5] Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), Drafting History, United Nations (last visited September 28, 2025), https://research.un.org/en/undhr/draftingcommittee.

[6] Article 2, supra note 2.

[7] Id.

[8] Id.

[9] Id.

[10] Human Rights Principles, United Nations Population Fund (2005), https://www.unfpa.org/resources/human-rights-principles.

[11] Id.

[12] Id.

[13] Article 1, supra note 1.

[14] Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948): 30 Articles – 30 Documents: Exhibit for the 75th Anniversary, United Nations (November 8, 2024), https://research.un.org/en/udhr75.

[15] Human Rights Here and Now:  Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Resource Center (1998), https://hrlibrary.umn.edu/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-5/8_udhr-abbr.htm.

[16] Chandler Green, 70 Years of Impact: Insights on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations Foundation (December 5, 2018), https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/70-years-of-impact-insights-on-the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights/.

[17] Article 2, supra note 2.

[18] The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 75: Our Shared Values and Path to Solutions, United Nations (Deccember 10, 2023), https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/universal-declaration-human-rights-75-our-shared-values-and-path-solutions.