THE Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a document that determines the basic rights of every human being, regardless of creed, ethnicity, social status, etc. It was produced by a committee of the United Nations Organization (UN) and approved in a general meeting that happened in 1948.
This document contains 30 articles, which consolidate the concept of human rights through activism and the struggle for improvements for all humanity.
Who drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and under what circumstances?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted by a committee created by the UN in early 1946. The emergence of the UDHR is directly related to the events of the Second World War, the greatest war in human history, marked by the horrors of Holocaust and atomic bombs.
In the context in which this commission was created, the world was still discovering all the crimes committed during the six years of war. These horrors were revealed mainly by the courts created to try war crimes committed by Nazis and Japanese in Europe and Asia.
With all the sufferings of this conflict still fresh in memory, the great nations, through the UN, decided to elaborate a document that established basic rights for all humans in order to prevent new horrors from returning to to happen.
Drafting Committee for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The committee that drafted the UDHR was formulated as the UN established a secretariat responsible for the agenda. The core of the UDHR drafting committee was composed of nine influential diplomats and jurists led by Eleanor Roosevelt, US ambassador to the UN.
The committee that prepared the statement were part of: Eleanor Roosevelt (U.S), pengChunChang (Taiwan), Charles Dukes (UK), Alexander Bogomolov (Soviet Union), John Peters (Canada), Hernan Santa Cruz (Chile), Renecasino (France), WilliamHodgson (Australia) and CharlesMalik (Lebanon).
After the committee had completed its work, the UDHR was brought to the consideration of UN member countries. After a General Assembly, Resolution 217 was issued. 58 delegations participated in this meeting, of which 48 voted in favor, 8 abstained from voting and 2 chose not to vote.
How many countries have signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
The UDHR was signed by all UN member countries, that is, by 193 countries. As one of the founders of the UN, Brazil was one of the 48 countries that voted in favor of its approval, being one of the first to ratify the Declaration of Human Rights.
What does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights say?
The UDHR contains 30 articles, which deal with the basic rights of all human beings. The document also addresses issues relating to religious freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the right to property. Furthermore, it condemns practices such as torture and slavery.
The first article is the basis of this document and states that: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and must act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”|1|.
Regarding this article, there are two highlights:
The term "all human beings" was suggested by Hansa Mahta to replace the expression "all men"|2|.
The way it was written emphasizes that dignity pre-exists other rights, being a guarantee of treatment for all human beings.
The declaration also addresses other issues, such as the right of every human being to freely seek employment that offers fair and favorable conditions, in addition to being entitled to paid vacation. The UDHR also establishes the right of every human being to have access to sources of leisure and free time, as well as to participate in the cultural life of their community.
future challenges
Of course, the existence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights does not prevent people from being oppressed, enslaved, exploited, tyrannized. However, this document represents a guide for all humanity in the search for a future with a more just and egalitarian society.
There are still challenges to be met, as millions of people are enslaved, others are persecuted for their religious option, sexuality, etc. There are also recent records of torture in the history of our country and many others. Despite this, the importance of the UDHR in the fight for more dignity is undeniable. Therefore, this declaration must be defended by every human being.
|1| Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To access, click on here.
|2| Article 1: 70 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To access, click on here.