very year, December 10 is observed worldwide as the Universal Human Rights Day. The day also marks the announcement of the year’s Nobel Prize winners. The date was chosen because it marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document consisting of 30 articles, approved in 1948.

Following the end of World War II — one of the deadliest global conflicts — the League of Nations was replaced by the United Nations on October 24, 1945. Alongside the establishment of the UN, work began on drafting a charter for global human rights.

An eight-member committee was formed for this purpose. It had representation from the major global powers at the time, the United States, Britain, France, the Soviet Union, China, Canada, and Australia, along with a representative from Lebanon. Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of US President Franklin D Roosevelt, chaired this committee.

The committee presented its first draft in Geneva in September 1948. It was approved on December 10, 1948, in Paris. Out of the 58 UN member states at the time, 48 voted in favour of the charter, none opposed it, eight abstained and two did not participate in the voting.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a monumental document reflecting the pinnacle of human awareness, intellectual growth and dignity. Its philosophical roots lie not only in the intellectual rigor of ancient Greek philosophers but also in the Roman civilisation and the enlightenment brought forth by modern thinkers like John Locke, Rousseau, Kant and Bertrand Russell. Its historical foundation dates back to Britain’s Magna Carta when the British king acknowledged the authority of the parliament. The instrument of habeas corpus was adopted in 1188. The Bill of Rights in 1679 restricted royal powers.

Credit also goes to the architects of the US constitution including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, as well as Abraham Lincoln, who ended slavery and Roosevelt. The American constitution was a significant influence. The UDHR, with its 30 articles, combines modernity and tradition, reflecting the continuous evolution of human consciousness and civilisation.

This evolution has not stopped; it continues to refine itself through the Geneva Conventions, human rights documents, declarations and agreements, progressing alongside human intellectual advancement.

The UDHR has been translated into more than 500 languages. United Nations member states are obliged to incorporate it into their educational curricula and disseminate it through mass media.

To the extent that a shared humanity is the faith of democratic, liberal, secular and civilised world; and global peace, human welfare and the establishment of a universal human society its aim; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is its sacred scripture. Its implementation and dissemination are not only a primary responsibility of all UN member states but also of their institutions and citizens. They also have a duty to shape their societies according to the ideals set out in this declaration and to fight against oppression, terrorism and conservatism.

The UDHR is the only UN document that has been translated into over 500 languages. Member states are obliged to incorporate it into their educational curricula and disseminate it through the media. Young people are encouraged to study the preamble and all its articles.

The first article of the UDHR states: “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 of brotherhood.”

The declaration asserts that everyone is entitled to the rights and freedoms outlined in it, without distinction of race, colour, gender, religion, language, political opinion, wealth or social status.

Several articles it the declaration challenge the traditional norms of some societies. One should reflect on why open discussions is not allowed on these articles. Even when there is a martial law or emergency rule, fundamental human rights as outlined in the declaration remain intact.

While every nation has its religious and cultural traditions, signing the UN charter obliges them to align their rules with its articles. India, for instance, has crafted a constitution that respects the UN charter despite its dominant religious traditions. However, lawmakers in some other countries have not been as successful in meeting this responsibility.

Every society will eventually have to embrace the principles of the UN charter overcoming traditional inequalities to align with the universal human rights.