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Human Rights Day

International annual celebration of human rights

International annual celebration of human rights

FieldValue
holiday_nameHuman Rights Day
imageHumanRightsLogo.svg
imagesize150px
captionHuman Rights Logo, unveiled in New York on 23 September 2011
nicknameHRD
observedbyUN Members
begins
date10 December
duration5 days
frequencyAnnual
celebrationsWorldwide

Human Rights Day (HRD) is celebrated annually around the world on 10 December.

The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first major achievements of the new United Nations. The formal establishment of Human Rights Day occurred at the 317th Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on 4 December 1950, when the General Assembly declared resolution 423(V), inviting all member states and any other interested organizations to celebrate the day as they saw fit.

The day is normally marked both by high-level political conferences and meetings and by cultural events and exhibitions dealing with human rights issues. Besides, it is traditionally on 10 December that the five-yearly United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize are awarded. Many governmental and non-governmental organizations active in the human rights field also schedule special events to commemorate the day, as do many civil and social-cause organisations.

History

Human Rights Day is 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 organisations to adopt 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day. The popularity of the day can be shown by the fact that the commemorative Human Rights Day stamp issued by the United Nations Postal Administration in 1952, received approximately 200,000 advance orders.

When the General Assembly adopted the Declaration, with 48 states in favor and eight abstentions, 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 measure was received by both advocates and critics alike as "being more declarative than legislative, more suggestive than binding."

Although the Declaration with its broad range of political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights 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 High Commissioner for Human Rights, as the main United Nations rights official and his Office plays a major role in coordinating efforts for the yearly observation of Human Rights Day:

The 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights occurred on 10 December 2008, and the UN Secretary-General launched a year-long campaign leading up to this anniversary. Because the UDHR holds the world record as the most translated document (except for the Bible), organizations around the globe used the year to focus on helping people everywhere learn about their rights.

On 9 December 2001, President George W. Bush made a Presidential proclamation that Human Rights Week began on 9 December. He also made the same proclamation on 10 December 2008.

Past observances

YearActions
1979Shih Ming-teh organized a human rights campaign in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. This led to the Kaohsiung Incident characterized by three rounds of arrests and mock trials of political opponents of the ruling Kuomintang party and their subsequent imprisonment.
1983President Raúl Alfonsin, of Argentina, decided to assume office on 10 December 1983, ending the military dictatorship that had ruled the country since 1976. The election of that day for his inauguration was related to human rights violations committed during the dictatorship. From then on, all presidential inaugurations have taken place on 10 December.
2004
2006In an interesting coincidence, former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, known for human rights violations committed during his authoritarian rule, died of a heart attack on 10 December 2006, at the age of 91.{{cite news
2008
200910 December 2009 marked as 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Tom Malinowski from Human Rights Watch in Washington, D.C., commented that there had been progress in human rights over the last 40 years: "I think there is greater awareness around the world that people have fundamental rights and that those rights are enshrined in both law domestically and internationally".
2011Following a year of protest in many countries, from Tunisia to Cairo to the Occupy movement, the theme of 2011 recognised the significance of social media and technology in assisting human rights defenders in new ways.
2012Inclusion and the right to participate in public life was the theme of 2012 Human Rights Day. The focus in 2012 was on all people to make their voices heard and be included in political decision making. "My Voice Counts" slogan was seen in the occupy movement around the world in protest of economic, political and social inequality.
2013Celebrating twenty years working for your rights was the theme of the 2013 Human Rights Day celebration. Twenty Years ago the creation of the position of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was established which empowered an official, independent voice to speak worldwide for human rights.
2014Every day is Human Rights Day is the slogan for the year 2014. Human Rights 365 celebrates the Universal Declaration on Human Rights which states that everyone, everywhere, at all times are entitled to their human rights. Human Rights belong to everyone equally and "binds us together as a global community with the same ideals and values."
2015The theme for 2015 is "Our Rights, Our Freedoms, Always."
2016url = http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/HRDay2016/Pages/StandUp4HumanRights.aspxlast = Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rightstitle = Stand up for someone's rights todayaccess-date = 10 December 2015}}
2017The theme for 2017 is "Let's stand up for equality, justice and human dignity"
2018The theme for 2018 is "stand up for the human rights"
2019Civil Human Rights Front organised a rally in Hong Kong on the Sunday, 8 December to mark the Human Rights Day two days away. The organiser estimated about 800,000 people took part, while the police had an estimate of 183,000 people. The march started from Victoria Park in Causeway Bay and was the biggest of its kind since the march in mid-August as part of 2019–20 Hong Kong protests movement in 2019.{{cite web
2020The theme for 2020 is "Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights".
2021The theme for 2021 is "Equality - Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights".
2022The theme for 2022 is "Dignity, Freedom and Justice for All".
2023The theme for 2023 is "Freedom, Equality and Justice for All".
2024The theme for 2024 is "Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now".
2025The theme for 2025 is "Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials"

Date variance

In South Africa, Human Rights Day is celebrated on 21 March, in remembrance of the Sharpeville massacre which took place on 21 March 1960. This massacre occurred as a result of protests against the Apartheid regime in South Africa.{{cite web |access-date = 15 December 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060923065834/http://www.sahrc.org.za/why_celebrate_human_rights_day.htm |archive-date = 23 September 2006}} South African Human Rights Day was declared a national holiday when the ANC was elected as the government with Nelson Mandela as the first democratically elected leader. Parliament's role on this day is to empower the people so that the democratic processes becomes known to all South Africans.

It is celebrated on 11 December in Kiribati.

References

References

  1. {{UN document. link. (4 December 1950)
  2. Office of the High Commission for Human Rights. (2009). "The History of Human Rights Day".
  3. James, Anu. (9 December 2015). "Human Rights Day: Best Quotes By Famous Personalities to Mark UN Day". International Business Times.
  4. Lawson, Edward. (1996). "Encyclopedia of Human Rights". Taylor & Francis.
  5. Green, James Frederick. (1956). "United Nations and Human Rights". The Brookings Institution.
  6. Cohen, G. Daniel. (2011). "Human Rights in the Twentieth Century". Cambridge University Press.
  7. (2008). "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 1948–2008".
  8. (12 December 2001). "Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights Week, 2001". [[Federal Government of the United States]].
  9. (19 December 2008). "Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights Week, 2008". [[Federal Government of the United States]].
  10. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7774693.stm "Chinese police detain protesters"], BBC, 10 December 2008.
  11. [https://web.archive.org/web/20081213004256/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jkc7RghMDnMqx9zZBo-Rx46pF3IQ "Abuses persist as UN rights declaration turns 60"], AFP, 10 December 2008.
  12. [http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2008121023141/National-news/Inequality-is-fuelling-rights-violations-UN-warns-govt.html "Inequality is fuelling rights violations, UN warns govt"], 10 December 2008.
  13. link. (15 January 2009 , ITAR-TASS, 10 December 2008.)
  14. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121022141046/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-12-11/bangalore/27923968_1_human-rights-education-south-india-cell-indian-social-institute "Students celebrate Human Rights Day"], Times of India, 10 December 2008.
  15. (10 December 2009). "International Human Rights Day Marks Progress and Setbacks". VOA.
  16. "Human Rights Day 2011".
  17. "Human Rights Day, 10 December". United Nations Department of Public Information.
  18. "HUMAN RIGHTS DAY 2013".
  19. "Human Rights Day 2014 #Rights 365". OHCHR.
  20. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. "Stand up for someone's rights today".
  21. [http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/ Human Rights Day 2017]
  22. Rupali Pruthi. (10 December 2018). "Human Rights Day 2018 observed around the world".
  23. (8 December 2019). "Protesters Mount Largest Rally in Six Months: Hong Kong Update". Bloomberg L P.
  24. (2020-12-09). "Human Rights Day 2020: Theme, History, Quotes, Observed, Celebration".
  25. [https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day/past-observance-2021 Human Rights Day 2021]
  26. (2021-12-09). "Human Rights Day {{!}} Stand up for human rights".
  27. [https://laopdr.un.org/en/211009-human-rights-day-2022-%E2%80%9Cdignity-freedom-and-justice-all%E2%80%9D-year-long-campaign-celebrate-75th Human Rights Day 2022]
  28. [https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day Human Rights Day 2023]
  29. [https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day Human Rights Day 2024]
  30. [https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day Human Rights Day 2025]
  31. "Human Rights Day – 21 March – South Africa".
  32. "Human Rights Day".
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