The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The 1948 UN declaration of 30 articles that lists the rights of every human being; its adoption day is Human Rights Day.
What the paper can ask
- Proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in Paris in 1948 as resolution 217 A; 30 articles.
- Hansa Mehta of India is credited with changing Article 1 to 'all human beings'.
- Translated into more than 500 languages; it inspired over seventy human rights treaties.
Why exams ask
The date of Human Rights Day, the number of articles and Hansa Mehta's role are the usual questions.
The full story
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in Paris in 1948 as resolution 217 A. Its 30 articles set out civil, political, economic and social rights as 'a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations'. It is a declaration, not a treaty, but it inspired more than seventy human rights treaties.
Test yourself
1.Human Rights Day is observed on which date?
Correct. The UN calendar lists Human Rights Day on 10 December.
Not quite. The UN calendar lists Human Rights Day on 10 December. It goes into your error book.