75th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Context

What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

A relatively compact document, the declaration consists of a preamble and 30 articles setting out fundamental rights and freedoms.
The declaration was proclaimed as “a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.”
Article 1 states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” And Article 2 says that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms the declaration sets out, “without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”
Other articles state that “everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person,” and that no one “shall be held in slavery or servitude” or “subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
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.”
The declaration enshrines the rights to freedom of religion; to freedom of opinion and expression; and to freedom of peaceful assembly. And it says that everyone has the right to education.

What did it achieve?

The declaration isn’t a treaty and isn’t legally binding in itself, but the principles it sets out have been incorporated into many countries’ laws and it is viewed as the basis for international human rights law.
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, it inspired the anti-apartheid movement and it 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.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the universal declaration has been “too often misused and abused.”

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