This issue of eJournal USA celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It explores the document’s origins, sites it within humanity’s common intellectual heritage, and explains how it has bettered the lives of individuals in every corner of the globe.
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.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, lays the foundation for protecting human freedom and dignity worldwide. Find out about its first 10 articles.
(United States)
(Canada)
(Lebanon)
(China)
(France)
Books, articles, and Web sites on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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