Human Rights Day is observed annually around the world on 10 December. It commemorates the anniversary of one of the world's most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 and sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a document that outlines the rights that everyone has, regardless of their differences:
Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal.
Article 2:Everyone is equal regardless of race, colour, sex, language, religion, politics, or where they were born.
Article 3:Everyone has the right to life (and to live in freedom and safety).
Article 4:Everyone has the right to be free from slavery.
Article 5:Everyone has the right to be free from torture.
Article 6:Everyone has the right to be recongnised before the law.
Article 7:We are all are equal before the law.
Article 8:Everyone has the right to seek justice if their rights are violated.
Article 9:Everyone has the right to freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
Article 10:Everyone has the right to a fair trial.
Article 11:Everyone has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Article 12:Everyone has the right to privacy and freedom from attacks on their reputation.
Article 13:Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and to be free to leave and return to their own country.
Article 14:Everyone has the right to seek asylum from persecution.
ARticle 15:Everyone has the right to a nationality.
Article 16:Everyone has the right to marry and to have a family.
Article 17:Everyone has the right to own property.
Article 18:Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Article 19:Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
Article 20:Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
Article 21:Everyone has the right to take part in government and to have equal access to public service.
Article 22:Everyone has the right to social security.
Article 23:Everyone has the right to work, to equal pay, to protection against unemployment and the right to form and join trade unions.
Article 24:Everyone has the right to rest and leisure.
Article 25:Everyone has the right to a decent standard of living, including food, clothing, housing, medical care and social services.
Article 26:Everyone has the right to education.
Article 27:Everyone has the right to participate in and enjoy culture, art and science.
Article 28:Everyone has the right to a social and international order where the rights in this Declaration can be fully realized.
Article 29:We have a duty to other people and we should protect their rights and freedoms.
Article 30:Nobody can take away these rights and freedoms from us.
In Pakistan, the UDHR has laid the foundation for an evolving human rights framework, particularly focusing on vulnerable groups such as women, children and persons with disabilities. As an original signatory to the UHDR in 1948 and subsequently signing seven core human rights treaties, and as a current member of the Human Rights Council, Pakistan has shown a clear political commitment to these universal values.
Empowering marginalized groups with this knowledge is essential for fostering social justice, as it equips them to recognize and challenge discrimination, demand accountability, and access opportunities for a better quality of life. Educated Youth can play a pivotal role in promoting awareness of fundamental rights among marginalized communities.
2024 Theme: Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now.
Human rights can empower individuals and communities to forge a better tomorrow. By embracing and trusting the full power of human rights as the path to the world we want, we can become more peaceful, equal and sustainable.
This Human Rights Day we focus on how human rights are a pathway to solutions, playing a critical role as a preventative, protective and transformative force for good.
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