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World marks 60th anniversary of international rights declaration

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Tuesday marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and is celebrated as International Human Rights Day. The occasion will be commemorated with a number of special events at the UN headquarters in New York City, including the presentation of the UN Prize in the Field of Human Rights and a special meeting of the General Assembly. The theme for the 2008 International Human Rights Day is "Dignity and justice for all of us." UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said:On this Human Rights Day, it is my hope that we will all act on our collective responsibility to uphold the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration. We can only honour the towering vision of that inspiring document when its principles are fully applied everywhere, for everyone.The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navenethem Pillay said:We must work for the full implementation of human rights on the ground in a way that affects and improves the lives of the men, women and children who are all entitled, regardless of their race, sex, religion, nationality, property or birth, to realization of each and every right set forth in the Universal Declaration. The UN General Assembly adopted the UDHR in 1948 after World War II. It was drafted by representatives of all regions and legal traditions, and it represents core values of non-discrimination, equality, fairness, and universality that apply to everyone. The 2007 International Human Rights Day marked the beginning of a year-long commemoration of these values, leading up to the 60th anniversary.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on December 10, 2008 (boomark / email).