Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60th Anniversary

On December 10, 1948, five days prior to my birth:
The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."
Since 1950 the anniversary of the declaration has been known as Human Rights Day.

Read the Declaration in any one of 337 languages

Celebrate Human Rights Day and the 60th anniversary of the UDHR. Stand up with people all over the world who want to make human rights a reality for everyone.

The UDHR declaration sets down the basic principles at the very heart of the human rights movement. It has enabled remarkable progress in human rights, inspiring international human rights standards, laws and institutions that have improved the lives of many around the world.

For each month of the anniversary year, Amnesty International has highlighted one aspect of its campaigning work.

Take Action

Fire Up!

On this significant anniversary, people will be gathering together in hundreds of places all over the globe, to light a candle, fire or flame as part of a mass demonstration

Sign up! The Passport

As global citizens, we should all consider what we are doing in our daily lives to make human rights a reality. Sign up and you’ll receive an email with a link to download your PDF Passport for Human Rights.

UDHR Articles

Every human has rights. That is the essence of our humanity. It places on each of us the duty to stand up, not just for our own rights but also for those of others - and to help turn the vision of the UDHR into a reality.

Watch and Listen

Afropop Artists celebrate UDHR's 60th Anniversary

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the landmark Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed on 10 December 1948 in the wake of the horrors of World War II, the artists share their songs which were inspired by the struggle for human rights.

UDHR film

The 20-minute video brings to life the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in brilliant colour.

Sixty years of human rights failure



Amnesty International has challenged world leaders to apologize for six decades of human rights failure and re-commit themselves to deliver concrete improvements.

Over these last years, Especially, our Country, the United States, has lost any Moral Authority we thought we possessed, in our description of ourselves and our condemnation of others!

It will take the coming generations years to build back to what we did posses, many years, and it will take all of us to do the very hard work that will entail, To Get Back Any Of What We Call Moral Authority, Real Moral Authority!

Obama's Human Rights Opportunity

By Jimmy Carter
Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The advancement of human rights around the world was a cornerstone of foreign policy and U.S. leadership for decades, until the attacks on our country on Sept. 11, 2001.

Since then, while Americans continue to espouse freedom and democracy, our government's abusive practices have undermined struggles for freedom in many parts of the world. As the gross abuses at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay were revealed, the United States lost its mantle as a champion of human rights, eliminating our national ability to speak credibly on the subject, let alone restrain or gain concessions from oppressors. Tragically, a global backlash against democracy and rights activists, who are now the targets of abuse, has followed.

Obama, the Middle East

Nobel peace laurate urges Mideast focus for Obama

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari urged U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday to delve into solving the Middle East conflict in his first year in office, calling it a knot that could be untied.

U.S. Weapons at War

Major New Report Details the Global Impact of Arms Sales and Military Assistance

As the world marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this week, a new report from The New America Foundation finds that U.S. arms transfers are undermining human rights, weakening democracy and fueling conflict around the world.

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