Human Rights Day

• Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10.
• The day commemorates the date when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

• UDHR is a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
• 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.

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.”
• The principles of equality and non-discrimination are at the heart of human rights.
• Equality is aligned with the 2030 Agenda and with the UN approach set out in the document Shared Framework on Leaving No One Behind: Equality and Non-Discrimination at the Heart of Sustainable Development.