Call for Constructive Changes on 64th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10th...

7/30/2019 Call for Constructive Changes on 64th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10th December 2012 - Joint Media Release - GREAT Trust

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Joint Media Release

On World Human Rights Day 10th December 2012

Great Trust, the Council for Afrika International & the Afrika

Liberation Society

Unprecedented Widespread Human Rights Abuses Intolerable Call

For 21st Century Race Equality and Human Rights Paradigms,

Approaches, Interventions & Models

On the 64th Anniversary of the Declaration of the Universal Declaration of HumanRights [UDHR], the GREAT Consortium, consisting of the GREAT Trust, Council for

Afrika International and the Afrika Liberation Society calls for a New Era of 21st

Century Sustainable Holistic Approach to Race Equality, Fundamental Human Rights,

Global Peace, Stability and Security to stem the tide of unprecedented widespread

human suffering in the world. From noticeable empirical evidence, pre-existing

orthodox human rights institutions, concepts, schools of thought, models and

approaches have either become outmoded and, or tragically failed to effectively

promote, guarantee and protect the Fundamental Human Rights and Needs of Planets

Earths 7 billion Global Citizens. The evidence is an indictment of Global, Regional and


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National Leadership and suggests systemic incompetence, incapacity, abilities and

lack of knowhow to deliver to the fundamental life and dignity requirements for the

Peoples of the World across all Continents. Amongst others, the global economic

recession and its unpalatable, profound, ramifications for the Majority Global Citizens

who are being coerced by governments to bear the brunt speak to this unfortunate

and intolerable assault on Fundamental Human Rights.

The world is going through unprecedented, precarious times where the ineffectivepolicy, strategic, operational and manifesto choices and preferences of Global,

Regional and National Leadership have climaxed into a world economic meltdown to

which they have no credible sustainable paradigms as yet, deepening the already dire

implications for Majority Global Citizens through severe compromise of Inalienable

Fundamental Human Rights, while the perpetrators and ruling elite who were and still

dominate politics, hold on to their privileges and rights.

While failed institutions get bankrolled through bailouts, the devastating and

debilitating fangs of austerity punish Citizens who had no role in the habitual

leadership incompetence that have culminated in the worlds severest economic

collapse, after promises of an end to boom and bust economics. Even in these harsh

times of unprecedented, eroded Fundamental Human Rights, providers of essential

services have free hand in even further punishing Citizens through astronomical price

hikes for gas and fuel, food, housing, education, health, transport, clothing and other

utilities such as telephone and internet services. To worsen the failure of governments

to deliver Full Employment, mass unemployment has been unleashed, wages have

been frozen and the value of wages diminishes in real terms and the projections are

that these injustices are here to stay. It borders on insanity, obscenity but patently


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immoral to be keen to socialise financial loss, but enabling the exclusive concentration

and monopoly where there are profits.

While pension pots are endangered, loose value and deplete, Multinationals pile-up

super-profits through exploitation of tax loopholes, which though legal because of

weak legislative outcomes by politicians, are indeed unethical in the present

circumstances. Citizenship protests in exercise of democratic rights across the world

to defend Fundamental Human Rights are either ignored or brutally suppressed bygovernments, sometimes leading to thousands of lives lost, instead of active

engagement of dialogue. As a matter of fact, there is hardly any dignity left in the lives

of Majority Global Citizens. In the abundance of the global wealth, greed,

mismanagement, incompetence and lack of paradigmatic effectiveness unleash

incredible havoc on the Inalienable Fundamental Human Rights of 99% of the People

of the Planet. The evidence points to historic crises of Global Leadership which must

be resolved through Fundamental Human Rights-centred Creative, Innovative

Paradigms by Special Emergency Task Forces; not comical, insensitive and negligent

dress-rehearsals of failed, tried and tested orthodox interventions which only prolongsevere suffering by the Majority Peoples of the World.

Dr Koku Adomdza, President of the GREAT Trust, Council for Afrika International and

the Afrika Liberation Society reflects on the significance of the United Nations World

Human Rights Day, The problem we have is that on the 46th Anniversary of the

UDHR, the perceptions of Global Leadership including the United Nations on the

practicalities of Fundamental Human Rights for the majority of the 7 billion Global

Citizens are light years apart, indicating profound representational and advocacy-

deficit. The reality is that the Majority of the Worlds Citizens survive by threadbare

Fundamental Human Rights and Needs, engulfed in widespread impoverishment and


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lack of the barest means of subsistence and one of the worst economic recessions in

history has certainly exacerbated conditions and corroded any hint of the

Inalienability of preciously essential Fundamental Human Rights. Instead of the

United Nations and Global Leadership calling a spade for what it is and pronounce a

Global Fundamental Human Rights State of Emergency, they keep skirting around the

issue in diplomatic claptrap, while people battle with the harshest of economic

circumstances, indignities and many more die in droves. In contradiction, despite and

in spite of the existing paraphernalia of Fundamental Human Rights, the worldwitnesses increase in bigotry and extremism, abuse of political power and rights at the

highest levels including the indiscriminate unleash of mass bloodshed, football and

tennis racism is at record high, acute afrophobia and anti-Africanism have become

almost conventionalised and the Larger African Holocaust is evidently even more

entrenched through economic terrorism, genocide and skyrocketing illicit capital-flight

out of Africa and the situation is getting worse, except camouflaged by bankrupt

doctrines of growth indices against the backdrop of steel resistance to full reparations

necessary to atone for several centuries of Crimes Against Humanity unleashed upon

the African Peoples.

It must be noted that Fundamental Human Rights did not originate from the UNs

Universal Declaration in 1948 as is often misunderstood. All that the undoubted

historic document did was to confirm succinctly the Inalienable Rights of Human

Beings once they are formed in the womb. The central purchase of Fundamental

Human Rights is that they are sacred, divinely-given and predate the 1948 UN

Declaration which takes out the spiritual essence of Fundamental Human Rights. One

notes that no African was a member of the drafting panel and the United Nations

continue to be one of the led institutionally racist agencies in the world given its


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resistance to include the African Union as a Permanent Member with Veto Rights on

its Security Council. And yet for convenience, considerable efforts have been invested

into secularising an inherently and intrinsically-divine imperative of Creation, without

which Human Beings cease to exist.

Within that context, reflections on the 46th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights [UDHR] must not be driven by the limited, weak and uninspiring

achievements made, or drumming-up the same as the UN often does, but in an impactassessment of journey-travelled towards a grand vision, destination of the

manifestation of the Fundamental Human Rights for Every Global Citizen on Planet

Earth. Subjected to a robust impact assessment, the UN and Global Leadership have

significantly and collectively failed to deliver effective advocacy, guarantee or convey

needed hope in the materialisation of Fundamental Human Rights for Majority Global

Citizens any time soon. The reality on the ground is that, it is only the Fundamental

Human Rights of a tiny minority of Global Citizens that have been met. This is

scandalous and so the response from the UN Leadership and Global Leadership is

disgraceful, pitiful and smacking of grotesque incompetence. The absence and, ordenial of Fundamental Human Rights entail[s] harsh realities, hard graft, diminishes

the human person from their humanness and require serious redress, in contrast to

the observable nonchalant, orthodox approach from the UN, Regional, National and

Global Leadership.

Pause for a moment and take in the plight and blight of Majority Global Citizens

across all five continents of the world, or through various media which indicate mass

suffering by swathes and swathes of people, leading unbearably harsh lives. Contrast

that unpleasant reality with the luxurious lifestyles of UN Leadership, Global, Regional

and National Leadership who are meant to be SERVING THE PEOPLE and anyone


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with a hint of conscience would shriek and shiver in their skin, bones and marrow.

The unravelling spectacle is diabolical, unsustainable, unhealthy, risky requiring

rapid effective remedy through Creative, Innovative, Ethical, Human Rights-oriented

and inspired Paradigms. Vital and invaluable time is running out and the world

cannot continue this way in the medium to the long-term without the most serious

repercussions for Collective Global Peace, Stability and Security.

From the rich countries of the Global North to the poorest country in the GlobalSouth, there is no political regime or leadership that could attest to the manifest

guarantee of Inalienable Fundamental Human Rights for Majority Citizens beyond the

Ruling Elites. And yet the earth is endowed with more than enough wealth and

resources to guarantee the Fundamental Human Rights, barring the vagaries of

societal systems that are founded and thrive on compulsive greed. That is why the

GREAT Trust, Council for Afrika International and the Afrika Liberation Society are

calling for completely New Era Paradigms, Schools of Thought, Interventions and

Models commensurate with the degree of the Global Fundamental Human Rights

crises on the 46th Anniversary of the UDHR.

The UN and Global Leadership must take undergo a drastic mind-set and

paradigmatic transformation and swap their realities with those of the Global Majority

Citizens whose Fundamental Human Rights are non-existent, then begin to identify

with their situations before the UDHR losses complete relevance and resonance across

the world. Already, they are being seen as parasitic or in great measure as non-

existent. You do a survey amongst some of the most deprived communities in the

world about the UDHR and the claim that it is the most translated document in the

world rings plain hollow.


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Take for instance the theme of World Human Rights Day 2012 which is on the right

to freedom of expression, association etc. These are relevant; but what do these rights

mean to those whose economic rights are severely eroded? To have the strength to

exercise these civil and political rights - speak, demonstrate, self-advocate, vote,

human beings require the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter which contemporary

Majority Global Citizens find extremely challenging to meet. This consequences of this

ruthless global economic recession, which was brought on by the mismanagement and

bad stewardship of Global and National Leadership where applicable, and which theMajority Global Citizens did not cause, are having to be borne disproportionately by

the latter in completely unethical circumstances through tried, tested and failed

orthodox interventions and models; while the culprits continue to enjoy their privileges

for failure and compromising he Fundamental Human Rights of innocent Majority

Citizens. Instead of the UN Leadership choosing a theme befitting and synergistic to

predominant fundamental Human Rights crises, they have chosen a presently non-

central priority which suggest cavalier, insensitivity and out-of-touch disposition and

failed human rights regime.

One of the fundamental flaws of orthodox but decadent human rights paradigms of

the UN and Global Leadership is the unsavoury, distasteful, unappealing and rather

perilous Selective Human Rights Approach, which entails blow-back winds with

significant undermining potential for existing regime. It is not difficult to discern that

political, civil rights are prioritised above the Fundamental Human Rights of

Economics Wellbeing and Entitlements from which leadership are keen to shore aside

disingenuously. We believe strongly that Economic Rights are central to all the other

strands of rights and that the UN, Global, Regional and National Leadership must

clean their acts up and meet this arguably most relevant and Mother of all


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Fundamental Human Rights. In so advocating, we are mindful of the debate of the

hierarchy of Fundamental Human Rights. In close toe, we emphasize the significance

of the inseparability and holistic character of the main strands of Fundamental

Human RightsEconomic, Political, Civil, Social and Cultural and condemn the

opportunistic and manipulative tendencies that promote Parochial Convenience

Human Rights.

As such, the GREAT Trust, Council for Afrika International and the Afrika LiberationSociety are campaigning for a managed replacement, abandonment of the status quo

with fit-for-purpose 21st Century Creative, Innovative and Sustainable Race Equality

and Human Rights Approach and Regime, performance managed through periodic

impact assessments and robust Action Plans. We believe that the materialisation of

fundamental Human Rights for all Global Citizens is possible, attainable in the 21st

Century for Global Peace, Security, Stability and Civilisation.

Moving forwards the GREAT Consortium, consisting GREAT Trust, Council for Afrika

International and the Afrika Liberation Society re-echoes the following responsibilities

of Leadership and Ruling Elites across the World. Our wish in this period of Annual

Goodwill is that Contemporary Leaderships avail themselves of the historic

opportunity presented by previous failures to be the ones to enter the history books as

the Guarantors and Achievers of Fundamental Human Rights for All Global Citizens.

This would not only lift the unpleasant burden of severe fundamental human rights

erosion off Global Citizens across all 5 Continents but also set the minimum

standards to be built upon by Leaders of the Future.


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Urgent Recognition and Clarity about the Inseparability and Holistic Nature of

Fundamental Human Rights versus Flawed Selective Human Rights i.e. Parochial

Convenience Human Rights

Urgency to Guarantee Economic Rights as central to all other Fundamental

Human Rights Strands in the light of the on-going, devastating, prolonged, historic

Global Economic Recession by Leadership

Urgency to Guarantee Political Rights, amidst high-profile political scandals and

the implosion of democracy and oppressive regimes from Athens to Rome and across

the Continents by Leadership

Urgency to Guarantee Social Rights, cumulatively consequent to the fall-outs

from Political and Economic tragedies by Leadership

Urgency to Guarantee Civil Rights, cumulatively consequent to the fall-out from

Political, Economic and Social Rights by Leadership

Urgency to Guarantee Cultural Rights, cumulatively consequent to the fall-outsfrom Political, Economic, Social and Civil Rights by Leadership

Finally, but not the least, we draw attention to the Urgency to Guarantee Holistic

Fundamental Human Rights-driven Peace leading to avoidable hardship, instability,

chaos, insecurity for the Worlds Majority 7 Billion Citizens, while Global Leadership

hold on tight to and enjoy their rights, privileges, positions, authority and powers.

There is a gapping, unhealthy dichotomy between the crushing erosion of the

Fundamental Human Rights of Majority Global Citizens and the realised exclusive


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privileges of Global Leadership to which the latter have demonstrated acute

insensitivity and lack of passion to positively and constructively change to rectify for

the Collective Peace. In consequence, the world witnesses the mushrooming of

countless theatres and flashpoints of war that exerts extensive destruction to human,

social and infrastructural capital and tipping the world to a plunge into a bottomless

pit of anarchy, violence and even worse human suffering.

Millennium Fundamental Human Rights Challenge, Goals, Needs & Pledge

To facilitate, the GREAT Trust, Council for Afrika International and the Afrika

Liberation Society calls on this 46th Anniversary of the UDHR for a Millennium

Fundamental Human Rights Challenge, Goals, Needs & Pledge by Global, Regional

and National Leadership including the Bretton Woods Institutions of the United

Nations, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, the G8/G21 Countries,

the African Union, Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation of American States, the

European Union, Gulf Consultative States, the Arab League, the Commonwealth, theACPA, ECOWAS and similar to rethink strategies for the rapid Manifestation of

Fundamental Human Rights and Needs for All Global Citizens in the shortest possible

time.

The current cataclysmic world economic recession provides opportunities for Fresh,

Lateral and Out-of-the-Box Thinking, to advance Global Civilisation to a degree and

credibility, that for the first time in human history, Guarantees and Materialises the

Fundamental Human Rights and Needs for All Global Citizens, eradicating avoidable

mass misery, though not the least the proportionate, radical reconfiguring of existing


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unethical priorities for Global Wealth Expenditure and launch of Full Employment

Programmes. We believe that with efficient Stewardship, Leadership and Competent

Ethical Interventions, it is possible for All Human Beings to be able to enjoy Basic

Needs and Fundamental Human Rights. The status quo sucks, has fallen apart and

can no longer hold and must be discharged for the Restoration of Human Dignity,

Hope, Inclusive Global Peace, Stability and Security.

Key Constituents of the Millennium Fundamental Human Rights Challenge, Goals,Needs & Pledgeincludes:

Fundamental Human Rights Consciousness Centred-Life Full Employment Food Housing Education Health Transport Utilities [Gas, Electricity, Water, Sanitation] Earth & Climate Rights

Ps] Each of the Seven Constituents entail the 4 Qualities of Challenge, Goal, Need &

Pledge.

Given the understandable dwindled confidence, trust, credibility of politics, politicians

and global leadership by the Majority Global Citizens, and the Inalienable Divine-

character of Fundamental Human Rights, we believe that the Millennium


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Fundamental Human Rights Goals, Needs & Pledge is a viable proposition to prevent

human civilisation from falling off the cliff-edge.

In the light of the foregoing mirroring of the tragic demise of Fundamental Human

Rights on this 64th Anniversary of the UNs Universal Declaration of Fundamental

Human Right, The GREAT Consortiumthe GREAT Trust, Council for Afrika

International and the Afrika Liberation Society makes an urgent call on behalf of the

Peoples of the World for Global Leadership charged with the guarantee and protectionof human rights to take managed steps to abandon the unworkable oppressive,

orthodox Convenience Human Rights and embrace a 21st Century New Era of

Holistic Human Rights and Inclusive Peace Paradigms, Schools of Thought, Models

and Approaches with the fiercest urgency of time.

KokuAdomdza


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Websites:www.thegreattrust.orgwww.thecouncilforafrika.orgwww.theafricaliberation.org

Emails:[email protected]@[email protected]

Phone/Fax: + 44 [0] 709285988570928598867092987012
http://www.thegreattrust.org/http://www.thegreattrust.org/http://www.thegreattrust.org/http://www.thecouncilforafrika.org/http://www.thecouncilforafrika.org/http://www.theafricaliberation.org/http://www.theafricaliberation.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.theafricaliberation.org/http://www.thecouncilforafrika.org/http://www.thegreattrust.org/


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Background to United Nations Human Rights Day and theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights [UDHR]

10th December, Human Rights Day, every year, presents an opportunity, to celebratehuman rights, highlight a specific issue, and advocate for the full enjoyment of allhuman rights by everyone everywhere.

For Human Rights Day 2012, the United Nations spotlight is on the rights of allpeoplewomen, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, thepoor and marginalizedto make their voices heard in public life and be includedin political decision-making.

These human rightsthe rights to freedom of opinion and expression, to peacefulassembly and association, and to take part in government (articles 19, 20 and 21 of

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) have been at the centre of the historic


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changes in the Arab world over the past two years, in which millions have taken to thestreets to demand change. In other parts of the world, the 99% made their voicesheard through the global Occupy movement protesting economic, political and socialinequality.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted on 10 December

1948. The date has since served to mark Human Rights Day worldwide. The HighCommissioner for Human Rights, as the main UN rights official, and her Office play amajor role in coordinating efforts for the yearly observance of Human Rights Day.The UDHR: the foremost statement of the rights and freedoms of all human beingsThe Declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, consists ofa preamble and 30 articles, setting out a broad range of fundamental human rightsand freedoms to which all men and women, everywhere in the world, are entitled,without any distinction.

The Declaration was drafted by representatives of all regions and legal traditions. It

has over time been accepted as a contract between governments and their peoples.Virtually all states have accepted it. The Declaration has also served as the foundationfor an expanding system of human rights protection that today focuses also onvulnerable groups such as disabled persons, indigenous peoples and migrant workers.

The Most Universal Document in the World

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has been awarded theGuinness World Record for having collected, translated and disseminated theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights into more than 380 languages and dialects:from Abkhaz to Zulu. The Universal Declaration is thus the most translated document

- indeed, the most "universal" one in the world.


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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon's Message10th December 2012

Everyone has the right to be heard and to shape the decisions that affect their

community. This right is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights andfully integrated in international law, especially in article 25 of the InternationalCovenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Over the past century, we have made undeniable progress along the path of inclusion.

Yet far too many groups and individuals face far too many obstacles. Women have theright to vote almost everywhere, but remain hugely under-represented in parliamentsand peace processes, in senior government posts and corporate boardrooms, and inother decision-making positions. Indigenous people frequently face discriminationthat denies them the opportunity to make full use of their guaranteed rights or fails to

take account of their circumstances. Religious and ethnic minoritiesas well aspeople with disabilities or those with a different sexual orientation or political opinionare often hampered from taking part in key institutions and processes. Institutionsand public discourse need to represent societies in all their diversity.

More generally, in several parts of the world, we have seen alarming threats to hard-won gains in democratic governance. In some countries, civil society groups facegrowing pressures and restrictions. Legislation has been introduced specificallytargeting civil society organizations and making it almost impossible for them tooperate. Champions of democracy have encountered new confrontational measures.

We should all be troubled by such backsliding.


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Even in societies with a good track record, there is room for improvement. No countryhas succeeded in ensuring that all its inhabitants are able to participate fully in publicaffairs, including the right to be elected to public office and to have equal access topublic services. Enacting new rights or removing unjust laws is not always sufficient.Too often, discrimination persists in practice, creating barriers and mindsets that canbe hard to overcome.

Vibrant civil society groups are among the keys to the well-being and functioning ofany nation, and the United Nations deplores measures taken to suppress them. Thatis why, on this Human Right Day, the United Nations is highlighting the right toparticipate and the associated rights that make it possiblefreedom of expression andopinion, and peaceful assembly and association.

International law is clear: No matter who you are, or where you live, your voicecounts. On this Day, let us unite to defend your right to make it heard.

Ban Ki-moon

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations,10th December 1948

Preamble


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Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights ofall members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace inthe world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous actswhich have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in whichhuman beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear andwant has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort,to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected bythe rule of law,Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations betweennations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith infundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in theequal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and

better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with theUnited Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of humanrights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatestimportance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSALDECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all

peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society,


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keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education topromote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, nationaland international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance,both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples ofterritories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1.All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed

with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit ofbrotherhood.

Article 2.Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration,without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, politicalor other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictionalor international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether itbe independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall beprohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment orpunishment.


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Article 6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equalprotection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination inviolation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8. Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals foracts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10. Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independentand impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any

criminal charge against him.

Article 11. (1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocentuntil proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all theguarantees necessary for his defence. (2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omissionwhich did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at thetime when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one thatwas applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.


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No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home orcorrespondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has theright to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the bordersof each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to

his country.

Article 14. (1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum frompersecution. (2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising fromnon-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the UnitedNations.

Article 15.

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right tochange his nationality.

Article 16. (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality orreligion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equalrights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intendingspouses. (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to

protection by society and the State.


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Article 17. (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association withothers. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right

includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or incommunity with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief inteaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includesfreedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impartinformation and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21. (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly orthrough freely chosen representatives. (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country. (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this willshall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal andequal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.


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Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled torealization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordancewith the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and culturalrights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23. (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just andfavourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuringfor himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, ifnecessary, by other means of social protection. (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of hisinterests.

Article 24. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of workinghours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25. (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical careand necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment,sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstancesbeyond his control. (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. Allchildren, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.


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(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in theelementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory.Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and highereducation shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality andto the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shallpromote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religiousgroups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of

peace. (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given totheir children.

Article 27. (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community,to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interestsresulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28. Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights andfreedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29. (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and fulldevelopment of his personality is possible. (2) In the exercise ofhis rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to suchlimitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognitionand respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirementsof morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.


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(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposesand principles of the United Nations.

Article 30. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group orperson any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at thedestruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

History of the Universal Declaration of Human RightsDocument

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN GeneralAssembly on 10 December 1948, was the result of the experience of the Second WorldWar.

With the end of that war, and the creation of the United Nations, the internationalcommunity vowed never again to allow atrocities like those of that conflict happenagain. World leaders decided to complement the UN Charter with a road map toguarantee the rights of every individual everywhere.

The document they considered, and which would later become the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights, was taken up at the first session of the GeneralAssembly in 1946.


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The Assembly reviewed this draft Declaration on Fundamental Human Rights andFreedoms and transmitted it to the Economic and Social Council "for reference to theCommission on Human Rights for consideration . . . in its preparation of aninternational bill of rights."

The Commission, at its first session early in 1947, authorized its members toformulate what it termed "a preliminary draft International Bill of Human Rights".Later the work was taken over by a formal drafting committee, consisting of members

of the Commission from eight States, selected with due regard for geographicaldistribution.

In 1950, on the second anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights, students at the UN International Nursery School in New York viewed aposter of the historic document. After adopting it on December 10, 1948, the UNGeneral Assembly had called upon all Member States to publicize the text of theDeclaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expoundedprincipally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on

the political status of countries or territories."

The Commission on Human Rights was made up of 18 members from various political,cultural and religious backgrounds. Eleanor Roosevelt, widow of American PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt, chaired the UDHR drafting committee. With her were RenCassin of France, who composed the first draft of the Declaration, the CommitteeRapporteur Charles Malik of Lebanon, Vice-Chairman Peng Chung Chang of China,and John Humphrey of Canada, Director of the UNs Human Rights Division, whoprepared the Declarations blueprint. But Mrs. Roosevelt was recognized as the drivingforce for the Declarations adoption.


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The Commission met for the first time in 1947. In her memoirs, Eleanor Rooseveltrecalled:

Dr. Chang was a pluralist and held forth in charming fashion on the proposition thatthere is more than one kind of ultimate reality. The Declaration, he said, shouldreflect more than simply Werstern ideas and Dr. Humphrey would have to be eclecticin his approach. His remark, though addressed to Dr. Humprhey, was really directedat Dr. Malik, from whom it drew a prompt retort as he expounded at some length the

philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. Dr. Humphrey joined enthusiastically in thediscussion, and I remember that at one point Dr. Chang suggested that the Secretariatmight well spend a few months studying the fundamentals of Confucianism!

The final draft by Cassin was handed to the Commission on Human Rights, which wasbeing held in Geneva. The draft declaration sent out to all UN member States forcomments became known as the Geneva draft.

The first draft of the Declaration was proposed in September 1948 with over 50Member States participating in the final drafting. By its resolution 217 A (III) of 10

December 1948, the General Assembly, meeting in Paris, adopted the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights with eight nations abstaining from the vote but nonedissenting. Hernn Santa Cruz of Chile, member of the drafting sub-Committee, wrote:

I perceived clearly that I was participating in a truly significant historic event inwhich a consensus had been reached as to the supreme value of the human person, avalue that did not originate in the decision of a worldly power, but rather in the fact ofexistingwhich gave rise to the inalienable right to live free from want and oppressionand to fully develop ones personality. In the Great Hallthere was an atmosphere ofgenuine solidarity and brotherhood among men and women from all latitudes, the likeof which I have not seen again in any international setting.


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The entire text of the UDHR was composed in less than two years. At a time when theworld was divided into Eastern and Western blocks, finding a common ground onwhat should make the essence of the document proved to be a colossal task.

The Drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Document


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The Drafting Committee

Top row, from left:Dr. Charles Malik (Lebanon)


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Alexandre Bogomolov (USSR)Dr. Peng-chun Chang (China)

Middle row, from left:Ren Cassin (France)

Eleanor Roosevelt (US)Charles Dukes (United Kingdom)

Bottom row, from left:William Hodgson (Australia)Hernan Santa Cruz (Chile)

John P. Humphrey (Canada)

Call for Constructive Changes on 64th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10th...

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