What are human rights?

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of
residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all
equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated,
interdependent and indivisible.
Universal human rights are often expressed and guaranteed by law, in the forms of treaties,
customary international law , general principles and other sources of international law.
International human rights law lays down obligations of Governments to act in certain ways or to
refrain from certain acts, in order to promote and protect human rights and fundamental
freedoms of individuals or groups.

Universal and inalienable

The principle of universality of human rights is the cornerstone of international human rights
law. This principle, as first emphasized in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in 1948,
has been reiterated in numerous international human rights conventions, declarations, and
resolutions. The 1993 Vienna World Conference on Human Rights, for example, noted that it is
the duty of States to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms, regardless
of their political, economic and cultural systems.
All States have ratified at least one, and 80% of States have ratified four or more, of the core
human rights treaties, reflecting consent of States which creates legal obligations for them and
giving concrete expression to universality. Some fundamental human rights norms enjoy
universal protection by customary international law across all boundaries and civilizations.
Human rights are inalienable. They should not be taken away, except in specific situations and
according to due process. For example, the right to liberty may be restricted if a person is found
guilty of a crime by a court of law.

Interdependent and indivisible

All human rights are indivisible, whether they are civil and political rights, such as the right to
life, equality before the law and freedom of expression; economic, social and cultural rights,
such as the rights to work, social security and education , or collective rights, such as the rights
to development and self-determination, are indivisible, interrelated and interdependent. The
improvement of one right facilitates advancement of the others. Likewise, the deprivation of one
right adversely affects the others.

Equal and non-discriminatory

Non-discrimination is a cross-cutting principle in international human rights law. The principle is
present in all the major human rights treaties and provides the central theme of some of
international human rights conventions such as the International Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women.
The principle applies to everyone in relation to all human rights and freedoms and it prohibits
discrimination on the basis of a list of non-exhaustive categories such as sex, race, colour and so

on. The principle of non-discrimination is complemented by the principle of equality, as stated in

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: All human beings are born free and
equal in dignity and rights.

Both Rights and Obligations

Human rights entail both rights and obligations. States assume obligations and duties under
international law to respect, to protect and to fulfil human rights. The obligation to respect means
that States must refrain from interfering with or curtailing the enjoyment of human rights. The
obligation to protect requires States to protect individuals and groups against human rights
abuses. The obligation to fulfil means that States must take positive action to facilitate the
enjoyment of basic human rights. At the individual level, while we are entitled our human rights,
we should also respect the human rights of others.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

A Magna Carta for all humanity

Legislative history of the UDHR

--Source: Yearbook of the United Nations Collection on CD-ROM 1946-1999 -(chapter
V), United Nations, 2002

Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 439 translations

UNOG Library Research Guide on theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights

Worldwide Collection of Universal Declaration of Human Rights Materials

United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law, maintained by the Office of

Legal Affairs (introductory note, procedural history, documents, video, audio and photo
archival resources)

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights : an historical record of the drafting process

UDHR 60th Anniversary (2008) - Commemorative Events

UDHR 60th OHCHR Campaign page

Bibliography on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights : The UNOG Library

prepared this bibliography on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.

More than 50 ideas for commemorating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Simplified version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

(Annex 1 (pp. 102-109))

General Assembly Resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948 - International Bill of

Human Rights

General Assembly Resolution 423 (V) - Human Rights Day

All human rights for all - 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
1948-1998

List of Human Rights Issues

Adequate Housing
Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of
living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context
Toolkit on the right to adequate housing
Administration of Justice
Expert Consutaltion on the Administration of Justice
Business and Human Rights
Business and Human Rights
Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business
enterprises
Children
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
OHCHR Thematic reports on children
Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography
United Nations Study on Violence against Children
Civil and Political Rights
Human Rights Committee (HRC)
Climate change
Human Rights and climate Change
Rio+20 - United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
Coercive measures
Unilateral coercive measures and human rights
Cultural rights
Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights
Death penalty
Death penalty
Democracy
Rule of Law - Democracy and Human Rights
Detention
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Development (Good Governance and Debt)
Development - Good governance
Human rights and the financial crisis
Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial
obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and
cultural rights
Open-ended working group on the right to development
Right to development
Disability and Human Rights
Human Rights of persons with disabilities
Disappearances
Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)
Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
Discrimination
A special focus on discrimination
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Portal (ESCR)
Open-ended Working Group on an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Education
Human rights education and training
Special Rapporteur on the right to education
Environment
Human Rights and the Environment
Independent Expert on human rights and the environment
Rio+20 - United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound
management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes
Executions
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
Food
Special Rapporteur on the right to food
Toolkit on the Right to Food
Freedom of Opinion and Expression
Freedom of expression and advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to
discrimination, hostility or violence
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and
expression
Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
OHCHR Seminar on effective measures and best practices to ensure the promotion and
protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests
Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
Freedom of Religion and Belief
Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief
Globalization (Business, Trade and Investment)
Business and human rights
Globalization - Trade and investment
Health
Consultation on Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their
family members
Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard
of physical and mental health
Toolkit on the Right to Health
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS and Human Rights
Human Rights Defenders
Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders
Human rights education and training
Human rights education and training
United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training
World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005-ongoing)
Human Rights Indicators
Human Rights Indicators
Independence of Judiciary
Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers
Indigenous Peoples

Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Fellowship programme
Main page Indigenous
Open-ended inter-sessional Working Group on the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous
peoples
Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples
Working group on indigenous populations
Internal Displacement
Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons
International Order
Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order
International Solidarity
Independent expert on human rights and international solidarity
Mercenaries
Special Rapporteur on use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of
peoples to self-determination
Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of
peoples to self-determination
Migration
Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their
Families (CMW)
Migration and Human Rights
Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
Millenium Development Goals and Human Rights
The Millennium Development Goals and Post-2015 Development Agenda
Minorities
Fellowship programme
Main page Minorities
Special Rapporteur on minority issues
Older persons
Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons
Older persons
Plans of Action for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
National Plans of Action for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
Poverty
Human rights dimension of poverty
Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
The draft guiding principles on extreme poverty and human rights: the rights of the poor
Privacy
Right to Privacy in the Digital Age
Racism
Ad-Hoc Committee on the elaboration of complementary standards
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Durban Review Conference (2009)
Fellowship Programme for People of African Descent
Group of Independent Eminent Experts
Intergovernmental Working Group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration
and Programme of Action
Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism
Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent

World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance,
Durban (2001)
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
Situations
Working Group on Situations
Slavery
Special Rapporteur on Contemporary forms of slavery
Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
Terrorism
Independent expert on Protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering
terrorism
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism
Torture
Committee against Torture (CAT)
Special Rapporteur on torture
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture
United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture
Traditional values
Human rights and traditional values
Trafficking in Persons
Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
Transitional Justice
Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of nonrecurrence
Water and sanitation
Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation
Toolkit on the Right to Water and Sanitation
Women
Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
Women's Rights and Gender main page