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Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on December 10th. It commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The formal inception of Human Rights Day dates from 1950, after the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V) inviting all States and interested organizations to adopt 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day.

Human rights are rights we have simply because we exist as human beings - they are not granted by any state. These universal rights are inherent to us all, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. They range from the most fundamental - the right to life - to those that make life worth living, such as the rights to food, education, work, health, and liberty.

When the General Assembly adopted the Declaration, it was proclaimed as a "common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations", towards which individuals and societies should "strive by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance".

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets out a broad range of fundamental rights and freedoms to which all of us are entitled. It guarantees the rights of every individual everywhere, without distinction based on nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, language, or any other status.

Although the Declaration is not a binding document, it inspired more than 60 human rights instruments which together constitute an international standard of human rights. Today the general consent of all United Nations Member States on the basic Human Rights laid down in the Declaration makes it even stronger and emphasizes the relevance of Human Rights in our daily lives.

The UDHR, together with the 2 covenants - the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - make up the International Bill of Rights.

Universal and inalienable: The principle of universality of human rights is the cornerstone of international human rights law. This means that we are all equally entitled to our human rights. This principle, as first emphasized in the UDHR, is repeated in many international human rights conventions, declarations, and resolutions. Human rights are inalienable. They should not be taken away, except in specific situations and according to due process. For example, the right to liberty may be restricted if a person is found guilty of a crime by a court of law.

Indivisible and interdependent: All human rights are indivisible and interdependent. This means that one set of rights cannot be enjoyed fully without the other. For example, making progress in civil and political rights makes it easier to exercise economic, social and cultural rights. Similarly, violating economic, social and cultural rights can negatively affect many other rights.

Equal and non-discriminatory: Article 1 of the UDHR states: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Freedom from discrimination, set out in Article 2, is what ensures this equality. Non-discrimination cuts across all international human rights law. This principle is present in all major human rights treaties. It also provides the central theme of 2 core instruments: the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Both rights and obligations: All States have ratified at least 1 of the 9 core human rights treaties, as well as 1 of the 9 optional protocols. Eighty per cent of States have ratified 4 or more. This means that States have obligations and duties under international law to respect, protect and fulfill human rights.

• The obligation to respect means that States must refrain from interfering with or curtailing the enjoyment of human rights.

• The obligation to protect requires States to protect individuals and groups against human rights abuses.

• The obligation to fulfill means that States must take positive action to facilitate the enjoyment of basic human rights.

Meanwhile, as individuals, while we are entitled to our human rights – but, we should also respect and stand up for the human rights of others.

• Commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• Read and share the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• Protect rights of migrants.

• Protect the rights of the People of African Descent.

• Recognize the enjoyment of human rights of persons with albinism.

• Report Arbitrary Detention.

• act for the rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.

• Promote the rights of climate activists.

• Protect cultural rights.

• Promote the right to development.

• Protect the rights of persons with disabilities.

• Protect the rights of the victims of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.

• Promote the right to education.

• Protect the human rights relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

• Promote the right to food.

• Promote the right to safe drinking water and sanitation.

• Speak about  the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights.

• Protect the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

• Promote the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.

• Protect the rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes.

• Protect the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

• Promote the right to an adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living.

• Protect human rights defenders.

• Promote the independence of judges and lawyers.

• Protect the rights of indigenous peoples.

•  Promote the rights of internally displaced persons.

• Promote a democratic and equitable international order.

• Promote human rights and international solidarity.

• Reflect on the elimination of kind of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members.

• Protect the right of peoples to self-determination.

• Protect the rights of minorities.

• Promote the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons.

• Reduce extreme poverty and enhance human rights.

• Protect the right to privacy.

• Eliminate contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

• Protect freedom of religion or belief.

• Report of the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material.

•  Eliminate violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

• Eliminate contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and its consequences.

• Promote and protect the rights and fundamental freedoms of the victims of terrorist attacks while countering terrorism.

• Condemn all acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment…

• Protect the rights of the victims of trafficking in persons, especially women and children.

• Promote truth, justice, reparation & guarantees of non-recurrence.

• Reflect on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights.

• Reflect on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, as the main United Nations rights official, and the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights play a major role in coordinating efforts for the yearly observation of Human Rights Day.

The Human Rights Day is co-organized by the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR), the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights of persons with albinism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, the  Special Rapporteur on climate change, the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, the Special Rapporteur on the right to development, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, the Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, the Independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, the Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination, the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, the Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material, the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and its consequences, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation & guarantees of non-recurrence, the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls.

With the collaboration the Australian Human Rights Commission, New Zealand Human Rights Commission, the Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Amnesty International. With the participation of Civil Society Organizations, International and Non-Governmental Organizations, Activists and Human Rights Defenders.