Human Rights Day
Frequently Asked Questions
compiled by the Presbyterian United Nations Office
When is Human Rights Day?
Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10 to mark the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
The theme for Human Rights Day 2010 is human rights defenders who act to end discrimination.
December 10, 2008 was the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations and the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program provide worship resources and other materials for Human Rights Day.
What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
The Declaration was one of the first major achievements of the United Nations. Its adoption marked the first time in history that a document considered to have universal value was adopted by an international organization. It was also the first time that human rights and fundamental freedoms were set forth in such detail. There was broad-based international support for the Declaration when it was adopted. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights represents a common statement of goals and aspirations — a vision of the world as the international community would want it to become. The Declaration is one of the best known and most often cited human rights documents in the world. Over the years, the Declaration has been used to defend and advance people's rights. Its principles have been enshrined in and continue to inspire national legislation and the constitutions of many nations. References to the Declaration have been made in charters and resolutions of regional intergovernmental organizations as well as in treaties and resolutions adopted by the United Nations.
What has the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) said about human rights?
Human rights have been the focus of many statements by Presbyterian General Assemblies. The 161st General Assembly (1949) of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America voted its support of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, taking a concrete step on a matter about which Assemblies had been advocating for nearly fifteen years. The action marked the beginning of declarations by Assemblies in the area of human rights principles. These policy statements and resolutions have been both general — addressing the rights of all human beings — and specific, addressing the rights of persons in particular situations. Assemblies have called for the United States to sign and ratify United Nations human rights conventions. Always, the statements of the Assemblies have been motivated out of the conviction that Jesus calls the church to speak with and on behalf of our neighbors' welfare.
Resources from the United Nations
- Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Human Rights Fact Sheets from the United Nations