The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
United Nations Building
New York, USA
December 10, 1948
As you can imagine, reaching an agreement at the United Nations is not
simple. This makes what happened in 1948 all the more remarkable. Without
a single exception, representatives from all over the world passed Resolution
217A (III), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights "UDHR").
The UDHR is the first comprehensive agreement among nations as to the specific
rights and freedoms of all human beings.
Article 1 sets the tone:
The Universal Declaration affirms that everyone is entitled to fundamental
rights without regard to distinction of any kind, such as race, colour,
sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social
origin, property, birth, or other status.
Among the rights guaranteed are:
- equality before the law and equal protection of the law, without discrimination
- freedom from arbitrary interference with privacy, family or home
- freedom of opinion and expression
- freedom of peaceful assembly and association
One can argue that the UDHR will be honoured - internationally at least
- more like a bad cheque than a defining human rights document. Maybe.
But in Canada, it played an important part of a great shift towards freedom
and justice.
Although Canada may have been slow to introduce human rights laws in
the first half of the century, it became a world leader in this field
by the end of the millennium.
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."
Did you know?
The blueprint for the UDHR was written by a Canadian - John Humphrey.
Humphrey worked with the United Nations as the Director of the Human Rights
Division in the Secretariat's Department of Social Affairs. His 400-page
draft outline is the foundation for the UDHR's thirty articles, including
a bill of rights which he had drawn up. Moreover, John was also a talented
mediator who often served to bridge the chasms between different philosophical
viewpoints around the negotiating table.
Did you know?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights will help form the model on
which the Canadian Charter of Rights will be founded in 1982.
Want To Know More?
See:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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