America.gov - Telling America's Story

Why the Universal Declaration matters, what it says, and the results it produced.

The drafters of the Universal Declaration overcame significant political obstacles to produce a visionary document viewed by some as the 20th century’s “greatest achievement.”

While a number of prominent statesmen drafted the Universal Declaration, the final document reflects input from many nations.

A new understanding of the individual, reflected in developments in the arts, helped to spark an understanding of and political commitment to human rights as we know them today.

While nations and cultures differ on details, a broad cross-cultural consensus accepts the universality of fundamental human rights components.