Human Rights Day 2023: Date, History, Theme And Significance

December 10 is celebrated as Human Rights Day across the world. This year will mark 75 years of the landmark Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was the first legal document protecting the rights of everyone, everywhere regardless of their gender, colour, nationality, race, ethnicity, language, religion, sexual orientation, property, national or social origin, and birth or any other status.

Countries across the globe will mark December 10 with awareness campaigns and events to promote and celebrate the basic rights and liberties we are all entitled to. It also serves as a call to stand up for human rights and equality.

The day has been commemorated as World Human Rights Day ever since the declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris in 1948. 

After the declaration in 1948, the day was formally established in 1950. Based on the resolution, all UN member and non-member nations along with interested organisations were encouraged to observe this day.

The idea was to underline the message in the declaration, draw attention to the challenges facing social justice and equality, raise awareness, and mobilise action. 

The UDHR document outlines the fundamentals of human rights, including the right to liberty, life, and individual security.

This document is available in over 500 languages worldwide and is one of the most translated documents.

Alongside this, the day is also to acknowledge the consistent efforts of individuals and organisations contributing to protect and advocate for human rights across the globe.

The theme this year is ‘Freedom, Equality, and Justice For All’.

In the decades since the adoption of the declaration, a theme is chosen every year to draw focus to a particular facet of the effort to uphold human rights. Themes have included ending discrimination, fighting poverty, and protecting victims of rights violations. 

The UDHR acts as a global blueprint for human rights protection, especially for vulnerable groups like indigenous people, individuals with disabilities, and migrants.

"As the world faces challenges, new and ongoing – pandemics, conflicts, exploding inequalities, morally bankrupt global financial system, racism, climate change – the values, and rights enshrined in the UDHR provide guideposts for our collective actions that do not leave anyone behind,” the UN said in its message.

The principles enshrined in the UDHR are as relevant today as they were over 70 years ago. The Declaration, drafted by representatives across legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, forms the foundation for human rights. It comprises a preamble and 30 articles that set out a broad range of fundamental human rights and freedoms to which all of us are entitled.