December 10 is Human Rights Day, marking the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948.

The Universal Declaration was the first time in history that human rights and fundamental freedoms were set forth in such detail. Drafted by members of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, including Canada’s John Humphrey, the document expressed a vision of the world which recognized the inherent right of all human beings to enjoy fundamental freedoms. The principles of the Universal Declaration have inspired — and continue to inspire — international mechanisms for the protection of human rights, as well as national human rights legislation in countries around the world, including Canada.

In choosing poverty as the theme for this year’s Human Rights Day, the United Nations is highlighting the link between poverty and discrimination. For more information on Human Rights Day 2006 and on understanding poverty from a human rights perspective, I invite you to read Overview: Human Rights and Poverty and visit the UN Human Rights Day website. On our Commission’s website, you can click on Historical Milestones to learn about the evolution of human rights in Canada over the 20th century, including the adoption of the Universal Declaration.

David Langtry
Commissioner