In its preamble and in Article 1, the Declaration unequivocally proclaims the inherent rights of all human beings: “Disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people...All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

The Member States of the United Nations pledged to work together to promote the thirty Articles of human rights that, for the first time in history, had been assembled and codified into a single document. In consequence, many of these rights, in various forms, are today part of the constitutional laws of democratic nations.

In April 1945, delegates from fifty countries met in San Francisco full of optimism and hope. The goal of the United Nations Conference on International Organization was to fashion an international body to promote peace and prevent future wars. The ideals of the organization were stated in the preamble to its proposed charter: “We the peoples of the United Nations are determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind.”

The Charter of the new United Nations organization went into effect on October 24, 1945, a date that is celebrated each year as United Nations Day.

United Nations representatives from all regions of the world formally adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948.

The Charter of the United Nations established six principal bodies, including the General Assembly, the Security Council, the International Court of Justice, and in relation to human rights, an Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The UN Charter empowered ECOSOC to establish “commissions in economic and social fields and for the promotion of human rights….” One of these was the United Nations Human Rights Commission, which, under the chairmanship of Eleanor Roosevelt, saw to the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Declaration was drafted by representatives of all regions of the world and encompassed all legal traditions. Formally adopted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948, it is the most universal human rights document in existence, delineating the thirty fundamental rights that form the basis for a democratic society.

Following this historic act, the Assembly called upon all Member Countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.”

Today, the Declaration is a living document that has been accepted as a contract between a government and its people throughout the world. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it is the most translated document in the world.

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore,

The General Assembly,

Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

We Are All Born Free & Equal.

We are all born free. We all have our own thoughts and ideas. We should all be treated in the same way.

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Don’t Discriminate.

These rights belong to everybody, whatever our differences.

3

The Right to Life.

We all have the right to life, and to live in freedom and safety. 

4

No Slavery.

Nobody has any right to make us a slave. We cannot make anyone our slave. 

5

No Torture.

Nobody has any right to hurt us or to torture us. 

Do you know your rights? This free interactive course will introduce you to your human rights so you will know them and defend them for yourself and others.

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You Have Rights No Matter Where You Go.

I am a person just like you! 

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We’re All Equal Before the Law.

The law is the same for everyone. It must treat us all fairly. 

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Your Human Rights Are Protected by Law.

We can all ask for the law to help us when we are not treated fairly.

9

No Unfair Detainment.

Nobody has the right to put us in prison without good reason and keep us there, or to send us away from our country. 

10

The Right to Trial.

If we are put on trial this should be in public. The people who try us should not let anyone tell them what to do. 

We’re Always Innocent Till Proven Guilty.

Nobody should be blamed for doing something until it is proven. When people say we did a bad thing we have the right to show it is not true. 

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The Right to Privacy.

Nobody should try to harm our good name. Nobody has the right to come into our home, open our letters, or bother us or our family without a good reason. 

13

Freedom to Move.

We all have the right to go where we want in our own country and to travel as we wish. 

14

The Right to Seek a Safe Place to Live.

If we are frightened of being badly treated in our own country, we all have the right to run away to another country to be safe. 

15

Right to a Nationality.

We all have the right to belong to a country.
16

Marriage and Family.

Every grown-up has the right to marry and have a family if they want to. Men and women have the same rights when they are married, and when they are separated.

17

The Right to Your Own Things.

Everyone has the right to own things or share them. Nobody should take our things from us without a good reason.

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Freedom of Thought.

We all have the right to believe in what we want to believe, to have a religion, or to change it if we want.

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Freedom of Expression.

We all have the right to make up our own minds, to think what we like, to say what we think, and to share our ideas with other people.

20

The Right to Public Assembly.

We all have the right to meet our friends and to work together in peace to defend our rights. Nobody can make us join a group if we don’t want to.

The Right to Democracy.

We all have the right to take part in the government of our country. Every grown-up should be allowed to choose their own leaders.
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The Right to Education.

Education is a right. Primary school should be free. We should learn about the United Nations and how to get on with others. Our parents can choose what we learn.

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Copyright.

Copyright is a special law that protects one’s own artistic creations and writings; others cannot make copies without permission. We all have the right to our own way of life and to enjoy the good things that art, science and learning bring.

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A Fair and Free World.

There must be proper order so we can all enjoy rights and freedoms in our own country and all over the world.

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Responsibility.

We have a duty to other people, and we should protect their rights and freedoms.

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No One Can Take Away Your Human Rights.

22

Social Security.

We all have the right to affordable housing, medicine, education, and childcare, enough money to live on and medical help if we are ill or old.

23

Workers’ Rights.

Every grown-up has the right to do a job, to a fair wage for their work, and to join a trade union.

24

The Right to Play.

We all have the right to rest from work and to relax.

25

Food and Shelter for All.

We all have the right to a good life. Mothers and children, people who are old, unemployed or disabled, and all people have the right to be cared for.