World Wars, the UN, and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights

The First and the Second World Wars demonstrated only too clearly that human rights were not inalienable. States committed atrocities both against other states and against their own populations. In order to prevent this from ever happening again, 51 countries came together in 1945 to create the United Nations (UN). Today the UN has 193 member states which include most countries in the world.*

The objective of the UN is to guard world peace and security and the cooperation between states. From the very outset a close connection between peace and human rights were made, acknowledging that only under conditions of peace can human beings achieve full enjoyment of their rights. Accordingly, the Charter of the United Nations describes one of UNs tasks as “promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion” (art. 1 (3)).

On December 10th 1948 the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which in 30 articles sets out the fundamental human rights to be universally protected. The document was drafted by a group of 18 people from various political, cultural, and religious backgrounds from America, Australia, France, Canada, Chile, China, Lebanon, Soviet Union, and United Kingdom.

The UDHR paved the way for the further development of the human rights idea. For the first time in history a set of universal human rights standards for all people and all nations are established. A list of basic human rights that is to benefit everyone, based solely on his or her quality as a human being, without any distinction of discrimination.

Considered a milestone in the history of human rights the UDHR has been translated into more than 500 languages and is written into – or has served as inspiration to – the constitutions of many countries. The UDHR is not legally binding but from its wake an ongoing series of international human rights resolutions, conventions, declarations, and monitoring institutions has emerged and continues to develop. The first binding international human rights instrument was the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination which was adopted in 1965. One year later the General Assembly adopted the two comprehensive International Covenants on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Together, the Universal Declaration and the two Covenants form what is known as the “International Bill of Human Rights”.

Today 9 international human rights instruments is perceived as core instruments within the UN system. They either prevent and prohibit specific abuses or protect especially vulnerable groups. Besides the three treaties listed above, the core instruments are:

• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979),
• Convention against Torture a.o. Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984),
• Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989),
• Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (1990),
• Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (2006),
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006).

In the adjacent illustration you will find an overview of the UDHR and core instruments, and in the next fact sheet you will learn more about the international, regional, and national human rights systems.

* The exceptions are Taiwan, Kosovo and the pacific ocean island country Nuie. The Vatican State and the State of Palestine are not members to the UN but have the status as what is called permanent observers.