Why in news?

• December 10, 2023 marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
• UDHR is the landmark document enshrining human rights and fundamental freedoms for all individuals.

What’s in today’s article?

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

• Background
  • On 10 December 1948, the UN General Assembly approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at a meeting in Paris.
  • It laid one of the foundation stones of the international order that emerged following the horrors of World War II.
  • It was a response to the atrocities of World War II and an effort to establish a common understanding of the basic rights and freedoms to which all people are entitled.
• About
  • A relatively compact document, the declaration consists of a preamble and 30 articles setting out fundamental rights and freedoms.
  • These 30 articles articulate a broad range of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights.
    • These rights are considered universal, meaning they apply to all people regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or any other status.
  • It is not a legally binding treaty, but it has served as a source of inspiration for the development of international human rights law.
• Features
  • Preamble
    • The preamble sets out the reasons for the adoption of the declaration, emphasizing the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.
  • Articles
    • The UDHR consists of 30 articles that articulate a broad range of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights.
    • Some examples of rights outlined in the UDHR include:
      • the right to life, liberty, and security of person;
      • the right to freedom of religion; of expression and assembly;
      • the right to work and education; and
      • the right to an adequate standard of living.
    • The declaration says that “all are equal before the law” and that everyone is entitled to “a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.”
    • And it says that “everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.”
  • 

Achievements of UNDHR

• It is recognized as having inspired and paved the way for more than 70 human rights treaties at global and regional levels, according to the U.N.
• It inspired the decolonization movement, the anti-apartheid movement.
• It also inspired freedom fighters all around the world, be it on gender issues, be it on LGBTIQ+ issues, be it against racism.

What is the situation now?

• The 75th anniversary comes as human rights are challenged in the war between Israel and Hamas, Russia’s war in Ukraine, internal conflicts in Myanmar and Sudan and in a host of other places and situations.
• UN. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the universal declaration has been too often misused and abused.
  • It is exploited for political gain and it is ignored, often, by the very same people.
• However, Amnesty International says the declaration is living proof that a global vision for human rights is possible & can be realized.
• Despite the many times the declaration has been ignored or exploited, it is still relevant, and the world should honour its successes and learn from its failures.