Human Rights Day
Frequently Asked Questions
compiled by the Presbyterian United Nations Office
When is Human Rights Day?
Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10 to
mark the adoption of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
December 10, 2008, marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Presbyterian United Nations Office and the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program
provide worship
resources and other materials for Human Rights Day.
What is the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights?
The Declaration
was one of the first major achievements of the United Nations. Its adoption marked the first time in history that a document
considered to have universal value was adopted by an international organization.
It was also the first time that human rights and fundamental freedoms were set
forth in such detail. There was broad-based international support for the Declaration
when it was adopted. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights represents a common
statement of goals and aspirations — a vision of the world as the
international community would want it to become. The Declaration is one of the
best known and most often cited human rights documents in the world. Over the
years, the Declaration has been used to defend and advance people's rights. Its
principles have been enshrined in and continue to inspire national legislation
and the constitutions of many nations. References to the Declaration have been
made in charters and resolutions of regional intergovernmental organizations
as well as in treaties and resolutions adopted by the United Nations.
What has
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) said about human rights?
Human rights have been the focus of many statements by Presbyterian
General Assemblies. The 161st General Assembly (1949) of the Presbyterian Church
in the United States of America voted its support of the United Nations Declaration
of Human Rights, taking a concrete step on a matter about which Assemblies had
been advocating for nearly fifteen years. The action marked the beginning of
declarations by Assemblies in the area of human rights principles. These policy
statements and resolutions have been both general — addressing the
rights of all human beings — and specific, addressing the rights of
persons in particular situations. Assemblies have called for the United States
to sign and ratify United Nations human rights conventions. Always, the statements
of the Assemblies have been motivated out of the conviction that Jesus calls
the church to speak with and on behalf of our neighbors' welfare.
Resources from the United Nations
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