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Our Common Human Rights

This web-publication is based on a book written by Martin Scheinin L.L.D and published by the Finnish United Nations Association. It came out in the year of 1998 among other activities to point out the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The book contains basic data about the most significant human rights bodies and organisations. There are links for searching for more information. In addition there are exercises linking up with the issues of each chapter. These can be used for human rights education for example at schools. This book -Our Common Human Rights- aims at clarifying the origin and background of human rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights itself and the key human rights. This book presents the structures and organisations that prepare, agree upon and monitor human rights both on an international and a European level.

Declaration of Human Rights

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted on 10 December 1948

Universal rights and New Zealanders

“There is no single model of democracy, or of human rights, or of cultural expression for all the world. But for all the world, there must be democracy, human rights and free cultural expression… The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, far from insisting on uniformity, is the basic condition for global diversity. That is its great power. That is its lasting value. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrines and illuminates global pluralism and diversity. It is the standard for an emerging era in which communication and collaboration between States and peoples will determine their success and survival.”
Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General

   The Universal Declaration of Human rights influences New Zealand - and New Zealand influenced the Declaration

The international law of human rights establishes principles, standards and goals for the relationship between a state, individuals and communities.
Basic rules

All societies, religions and cultures have dwelt on the issue of what rights and responsibilities an individual has within his or her community, what he or she can do to others, and what power a government may legitimately exercise over individuals and groups.
Universal declaration

Adopted in the aftermath of the Second World War, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights marked the first occasion that a world organisation (the United Nations) articulated and agreed a common set of rights – civil, political, economic, social and cultural – to which people everywhere are entitled. Its adoption was a landmark event signalling that human rights are a matter of legitimate international concern.
Equal rights

The Declaration constitutes “a common standard of achievement for all people and all nations” based on “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family” as “the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”. Many societies have gone further and included these principles and rights in their national constitutional arrangements.
The Declaration regards all rights – civil, political, economic, social and cultural – as indivisible as well as universal; that is, they are deemed to be of equal importance being interdependent and interrelated, and therefore requiring the same level of protection.
Sustainable development

Today, there is also a growing acknowledgement of the relationship between governance, human development and human rights.
Recently, in a publication called Development and Human Rights: The Role of the World Bank, the World Bank wrote: “By placing the dignity of every human being – especially the poorest – at the very foundation of its approach to development, the Bank helps people in every part of the world build lives of purpose and hope.”
A recent UN Development Programme (UNDP) annual Human Development Report is devoted entirely to the relationship between human rights and development. In his Foreword, Mark Malloch Brown, the head of UNDP, writes: “[A] broad vision of human rights must be entrenched to achieve sustainable human development. When adhered to in practice as well as principle, [human rights and sustainable human development] make up a self-reinforcing virtuous circle.”
Today, there is increasing recognition of the close relationship between governance, human development and human rights.
Evolving understanding

As with other historic documents, our understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights evolves with the passage of time. The Declaration is animated by a sense of the dignity and well-being of all individuals and communities.
Find out more!

This article is taken from the report on the Re-Evaluation of the Human Rights Protections in New Zealand, commissioned by then Justice Minister Margaret Wilson from former Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade senior legal adviser Bill Mansfield and others

Germany contributes to the protection of human rights with projects and initiatives worldwide

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The General Assembly of the United ­Nations (UN) proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948. In addition to the Pre­amble, it contains 30 Articles that guarantee the universal freedoms and rights of every individual human being irre­spective of nationality, sex, language, religion, political opinion or social origin. The basic rights named in the Declaration include the right to life, liberty and secur­ity of person, the right to education, ­freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of opinion and expression. They also encompass the right to work, the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution as well as freedom from fear, hardship, ­torture and slavery. The Declaration, which itself has no binding character ­under international law and is automatically accepted by every new member state on accession to the United Nations, forms the foundation of international ­human rights protection together with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International ­Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 10 December has been ­considered international Human Rights Day since 1948.

German Human Rights Projects

Germany has signed all the main treaties of the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations on the protection of human rights. Germany contributes to the protection of human rights with projects and initiatives worldwide. In Central Asia, for example, the establishment of a human rights dialogue between the EU and the countries of the region within the framework of the EU-Central Asia strategy is founded on a German initiative in 2007. On a bilateral level, in Kazakhstan, for example, Germany has supported freedom of information and the press as well as projects against human trafficking and torture and contributed to ensuring that the death penalty is only imposed for terrorist acts and serious crimes committed during wartime through initiatives such as a round table made up of government and civil society representatives.

In its support for the reconstruction effort in Iraq, Germany has financed and organized human rights seminars for Iraqi judicial officers. The Berlin Centre for the Treatment of Torture Victims (BZFO) has developed an Internet-based platform for treating traumatized civil war refugees in Iraq. In various regions of the world Germany is also engaged in efforts to recognize the human right of access to clean drinking water and basic sanitary facilities. In Kenya, for example, Germany is backing the government in its reform of the water sector – and thus also the development of an improved water supply infrastructure. In Africa, Germany has been supporting a supraregional project against female gen­ital mutilation since 1999. The populations of Burkina Faso, Benin, Mali, Mauritania and Kenya are being informed of the neg­ative consequences of female genital mu­tilation and attempts made to convince them to give up this practice.

United Nations Human Rights Council

The United Nations is the most important organization supporting respect for ­human rights worldwide. The United ­Nations did not only define the protection of human rights as one of its main aims in Article 1 of its Charter, but also ­created a special body for this purpose: the Human Rights Council based in ­Geneva. It is the United Nations’s central political body for dialogue and cooperation on human rights issues and replaced the Commission on Human Rights in 2006 to strengthen the human rights work of the United Nations. The 47 ­elected member states of the Council primarily consult on how the protection of human rights can be improved and ­discuss the human rights situation in ­individual countries. The most import­ant foundations for their work are the Uni­versal Declaration of Human Rights and the six international human rights ­treaties with their supplementary protocols. Germany was elected to the new body for three years on 9 May 2006.

Round Table 2: Overcoming Discrimination to Realize Human Rights and Dignity for All

"Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status." (Art.2, Universal Declaration of Human Rights).

People are discriminated against for various reasons including race, color, descent, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, political opinion, social origin, property, disability, birth or any other status. Factors such as violence, impunity, social exclusion and extreme poverty exacerbate the vulnerability of discriminated groups. Human rights treaties and instruments have affirmed the principles of equality and non-discrimination and require that states and non-state actors take affirmative action. However, in practice, many countries continue to allow discrimination. The aim of the rights-based approach to discrimination is to ensure the active participation of discriminated persons, and to empower them and make them actors of change. Recognizing the success of many discriminated groups in claiming their rights and becoming empowered agents of change, this roundtable will highlight their efforts, in particular the actions they have taken through the UN human rights mechanisms. Panelists will also identify strategies for fostering global ethics by forming partnerships across sectors.

A Universal Declaration of Human Rights Blog

On Monday, we received in the mail a most unusual comment on those posts.

One expects comments to be written and included below the corresponding blog post. In this case, that was impossible. This comment arrived in a large box.

Inside was a plaque engraved with all thirty of the articles of the declaration.

Turns out Jared Lamb of Lamb Awards & Engraving noticed the articles on the blog and decided to make the plaque for us. He insisted we needn’t mention his Westminster, Maryland company on the blog, but we decided posting a note about it and including a couple photos is both a fitting thanks and a way to share the plaque with a larger audience. The post also offers another opportunity to remind you of the declaration and this historic anniversary.

Thanks Jared and thanks to your family and company.

Artists In Action For Human Rights Program

The Artists in Action for Human Rights Program (AIAHR) brings artists, resource educators, native Hawaiian cultural practitioners and community outreach staff into classrooms throughout Hawai`i. Using educational materials provided by the United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, our presentations include a discussion of local and international human rights issues by outreach educators from Performing and Fine Artists for World Peace (PFAWP), followed by a sharing by our guest artists. Presenters also share the impact that the issue of human rights has had on their art and their lives. Presentations range from 45 - 90 minutes depending on grade level. Our major objective for AIAHR is to make students aware of human rights issues and to motivate them to take action in protecting the rights of others around the world. We will also be fostering a love for the arts and nurturing young artists to develop their creative talents.

Artists in Action for Human Rights also supports and actively promotes the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

2008 Year-End Report on the Human Rights Situation in the Philippines

Karapatan is releasing this 2008 report on the human rights situation in the Philippines as the world observes the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This report principally features cases of violation of human rights, as recorded by Karapatan, from January to October 2008. It also includes a review of escalating attacks against human rights defenders since 2001 and our experience so far with the writ of amparo. It reveals that amidst our celebration of the global triumphs of our advocacy for human rights, social justice remains a work-in-progress in the Philippines.

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS POSTER

The Easy reference guide to the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS is a full colour A3 size poster with the 30 articles of the Declaration in simple English.

United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The attainment of Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a central motivation for the ALISON executive and team members. We encourage all learners on ALISON, supporters, contributing publishers and anyone involved in the development of the service to work with us to achieve this goal.

On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the full text of which appears on this page. Following this historic departure, the Assembly called upon all member countries to publicise the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."

PREAMBLE

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

 

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, 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. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.

(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.

(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.

(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29.

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30.

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein

UN MARKS HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

UN: 10 December 2007 – The freedoms upheld in the historic United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be enjoyed by everyone, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today on the occasion of Human Rights Day.

The Day also kicked off a year-long UN system-wide campaign, with the theme “Dignity and Justice for All of Us,” to raise awareness of the Declaration, which turns 60 on 10 December 2008.

“The Declaration remains as relevant today as it did on the day it was adopted,” Mr. Ban said. “But the fundamental freedoms enshrined in it are still not a reality for everyone. Too often, Governments lack the political will to implement international norms they have willingly accepted.”

He said that this year leading up to the 60th anniversary of the landmark document provides an opportunity to reinvigorate efforts to ensure that the Declaration’s freedoms apply to all.

“It is a chance to ensure that these rights are a living reality – that they are known, understood and enjoyed by everyone, everywhere,” the Secretary-General noted. “It is often those who most need their human rights protected, who also need to be informed that the Declaration exists – and that it exists for them.”

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, in a separate message, paid tribute to those who have given their lives in the pursuit of transforming the ideals of the Declaration – inherent human dignity, justice, non-discrimination, equality, fairness and universality – into reality.

“Today is also the day to reflect upon our individual and collective failures to stand up against violence, racism, xenophobia, torture, repression of unpopular views and injustices of all sorts,” she observed.

Efforts to make sure that every person can rely on just laws for his or her protection must be stepped up in the year leading up to the Declaration’s 60th anniversary, the High Commissioner said.

“In today’s growing divisions between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the vulnerable, the technologically advanced and the illiterate, the aggressors and the victims, the relevance of the Declaration and the universality of enshrined rights need to be loudly reaffirmed,” she declared.

The President of the General Assembly also sounded the alarm about those who are denied the Declaration’s rights, stating that “it is incumbent upon us to champion their cause.”

Srgjan Kerim urged that measures to promote rights should “live up to the spirit embodied by those who had the courage and conviction to leave us with this great legacy.”

Underscoring the rights of girls and women, who continue to be subjected to discrimination and violence, the head of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) stressed that “every human being should be able to live and make decisions free of coercion, discrimination and violence.”

Human Rights

Our Sustainability Framework calls for a strong commitment to human rights. In 2008, we embarked on a two-year program to develop a high standard of internal compliance with the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.   Each site is required to assess risks of a breach occurring within our direct or indirect operations and to implement prevention plans. A two-year Human Rights training program for all of our employees, alongside a more detailed training program for all of our supervisors and managers, will commence in 2009.

Human Rights Day

“Living the Challenge – Differently Enabled, Uniquely Called”

The human rights of all persons were never more eloquently phrased than in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Eleanor Roosevelt led the diplomatic team that presented it to the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1948. Each year on December 10th, that historic moment is remembered at the UN. Numerous UN treaties and a vast body of international humanitarian laws have emerged in response to the Declaration. This Church Women United Human Rights Celebration is intended to provide the opportunity to celebrate that Declaration at ANY time of the year. The Human Rights Celebration is an annual event that unites women and men of ALL faiths in a common worship experience held to honor individuals who have worked in the cause of Human Rights. The theme of this year’s Human Rights Celebration is “Living the Challenge: Differently Enabled, Uniquely Called,” with an emphasis on health and economic justice for those individuals who are faced with inadequate policies and support programs. This celebration is a time to honor a person(s) who are differently enabled, uniquely called or person(s) who advocate on behalf of the disabled.
Paula Lapeyrouse of Terrebone Parish, Louisiana created the logo, featuring hands reaching out to one another. Paula, a member of TARC, (Terrebone Association for Retarded Citizens) is an example of an individual who is differently enabled and uniquely gifted.
Joan Brown and Cathy Smith have written this Celebration, dedicating it to Joan’s cousin, Thomasine Hill who is one of God’s Uniquely Called, and in memory of Cathy’s mother, Jean G. Curry, who was a poet, and in a wheelchair for over forty years.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a charter accepted and adopted by the United Nations. Officially, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is part of the International Bill of Human Rights which is an informal title given to two treaties created by the United Nations. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights came into being after WWII and it is representative of the first time in history where the world was mobilized to establish rights that all human beings are innately born with.

After the atrocities committed in Nazi Germany, there was a need for something of this nature as one of the United Nation’s main goals was to reiterate fundamental human rights for all. Several people were involved in drafting the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the forerunner being John Peters Humphrey. At the time of the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights he was the Director of the Division of Human Rights within the United Nations Secretariat. The Commission on Human Rights was commissioned to take on this project after Humphrey provided them with the initial draft. The United Nations wanted the members of this commission to be representative of the world and it was a very diverse group of people originating from countries ranging from Australia, Iran, and Yugoslavia to just name a few. A very famous author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was Eleanor Roosevelt who was the chairman.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948 by a landslide vote. No countries were against this charter, while 8 abstained; these countries were Soviet Bloc states. As of 1998, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Every year on December 10, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is commemorated and it is known as Human Rights Day or International Human Rights Day.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has not only been adopted by the United Nations and been integral in many of their efforts but it has also become a part of customary international law. Customary international law is the basis of practice in the International Court of Justice. Apart from being institutional in international law and the United Nations, this charter has also had a tremendous influence in the constitutions of other countries. Furthermore, this document has also served as the foundation for two major United Nations human rights covenants.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has received both praise and criticism from dignitaries across the world. Officials around the world including Pope John Paul II as well as organizations such as the EU have praised this document. However, in certain parts of the world this charter does not have the same creed. Primarily in Islamic countries such as Sudan, Pakistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia there has been criticism for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Their argument is that the charter does not take into account cultural and religious factors. While there is a certain level of criticism for this declaration, it is for the most part one of the defining pieces of work in the 20th century and has had a tremendously positive influence worldwide.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

In 1998 Britain passed the Human Rights Act. It recognised in British Law the European Convention on Human Rights, which had been ratified by the Council of Europe in 1953, but its origins go back even before the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948

Where did the idea of Rights come from?

Discussions in the English-speaking world about the origins of rights invariably mention Magna Carta, of 1215, and its demands of no detainment without trial. But a more modern idea of an international declaration of rights had been published by writer HG Wells in the Times in 1939. It included restatement of many existing rights, plus such advanced ideas as 'the right to roam' and freedom of information. Many took up his ideas, and they may have influenced US President Roosevelt's State of the Union speech in January 1941 which outlined 'Four Freedoms' (of speech, of worship, from fear, and from want) incorporated into the Atlantic Charter.
How did the Universal Declaration of Human Rights come about?

The newly established United Nations set up a Human Rights Commission, chaired by Roosevelt's widow, Eleanor. After 18 months' deliberation it drafted a Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the UN on 10 December 1948. British representatives were frustrated that it had moral but no legal obligation. It was not until 1976 that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights came into force, giving a legal status to most of the UDHR.

Meanwhile, a Congress of Europe had met in May 1947 in The Hague under Winston Churchill. He proposed a European Charter of Human Rights. Discussions began when the Council of Europe was established in May 1949. The debates over the Convention (as it became), were long and heated but the final document was signed in Rome in November 1950.

Britain had been worried about the effect on its colonies and its sovereignty, but was the first to ratify it on 8 March 1951. It came into force in September 1953. The enforcement process, via the European Commission on Human Rights, was set up in 1954 and the European Court in 1959. Britain extended the Convention to almost all of its colonies. Since 1998 all individuals have been able to approach the Court direct.
How does the British Human Rights Act compare with the European version?

The British Human Rights Act 1998 covers all of the articles and additional protocols of the European Convention with only minor amendments. The European Convention contains fewer clauses than the UDHR but covers them in more detail. All standard clauses are in both, such as equality before the law, freedom of speech and worship, right to a fair trial, prohibition of slavery and freedom of assembly. The UDHR has further clauses covering a right to leisure, and a right to a nationality.
What happened to the death penalty?

Capital punishment had been abolished in Britain for murder in 1965 but remained for treason until 1998, when the Human Rights Act finally killed off the death penalty. The last colony to abolish it was the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2002.

The last woman to be hanged was Ruth Ellis in July 1955; the last men executed were Peter Allen and Gwynne Owen Evans, in August 196; and the last people executed under British rule were Larry Tacklyn and Erskine Burrows, in Bermuda on 2 December 1977, for killing the island's Governor.
Who makes sure the Act is enforced?

To oversee this Act and others, the Equality and Human Rights Commission was established in October 2007, combining responsibilities of the former Equal Opportunities Commission, Commission for Racial Equality, and the Disability Rights Commission. Its job is to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect human rights and to build good relations, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to participate in society.
And what actually are my rights?

The list of our rights as set out in the Human Rights Act, 1998 is:
• the right to life
• freedom from torture and degraded treatment
• freedom from slavery and forced labour
• the right to liberty
• the right to a fair trial
• the right not to be punished for something that wasn't a crime when you did it
• the right to respect for private and family life
• freedom of thought, conscience and religion
• freedom of expression
• freedom of assembly and association
• the right to marry or form a civil partnership and start a family
• the right not to be discriminated against in respect of these rights and freedoms
• the right to own property
• the right to an education
• the right to participate in free elections and cultural life
• the right to a nationality.