Human Rights Day 2023: commemorating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
October 10th will mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Human Rights Day, which celebrates the ratification of the groundbreaking Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR was the first global agreement on the rights and freedoms of all human beings, and is one of the most translated documents in existence. The United Nations Human Rights Day also coincides with the day of awardment for the Nobel Peace Prize and the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights.
The United Nations has set this year’s theme as “Freedom, Equality and Justice for All” in recognition of the ongoing assault on global dignity and equality. The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the global proliferation of conflict, terror, inequality, and climate disasters, have all challenged the universal application of human rights. The United Nations “Human Rights 75” initiative aims to counteract this backsliding of global progress, with the purpose of “solidarity for the rights of everyone.”
The commemoration of the day began earlier with the year-long “Human Rights 75” initiative and a bevy of workshops on human rights. It will culminate with a high-level event in Geneva between December 11-12. The event, co-convened by UN Human Rights and Switzerland, will include member states, civil society representatives, human rights defenders, UN experts, academics, youths, and other stakeholders. Many notable individuals will attend the event, including Volker Türk and Václav Bálek, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of the Human Rights Council respectively, as well as the Presidents and Prime ministers of dozens of countries.
The UDHR is especially relevant in our present world, which has been characterized by global failure on multiple fronts. The seminality of the document cannot be understated– the UDHR laid out fundamental concepts such as the right to life, basic freedoms in society, and economic and cultural rights, albeit in a non-binding manner. While the document itself was not a legally binding agreement, many provisions within it have permeated many aspects of customary international law, or have otherwise been ratified in other, binding agreements. It serves as the foundation for the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the United Nations Convention Against Torture, amongst others.
The high-level event in Geneva can be viewed online by registering through the UN. The full agenda for the event can be found here.
Photo: The Stone of Hope at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Independence Avenue Southwest, Washington, DC, USA.
by Woubishet Z. Taffese on Unsplash
