Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10 to honour the day in 1948 when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The UDHR is a document which “proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being”- irrespective of their gender, language, religion, race, colour, national or social origin, political or other opinions among other statuses, according to the United Nations (UN’s) website.
The UDHR is available in more than 500 languages and is the most translated document across the globe. It continues to be the foundation of all international human rights laws.
What are human rights?
Human rights are the rights that people simply have and are not granted by any state. These rights are inherent to all irrespective of any of the above statuses. Human rights range from right to life, right to food, right to education, right to health etc.
Human Rights Day 2021 theme
This year’s theme for Human Rights Day is Equality – Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights. The theme is related to Article 1 of the UDHR which states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
Famous quotes on human rights:
Former South African president Nelson Mandela
“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.”:
Former American minister and activist Martin Luther King Jr
“A right delayed is a right denied.”
António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations
“When we achieve human rights and human dignity for all people – they will build a peaceful, sustainable, and just world.”