Days Until Human Rights Day

About Human Rights Day

December 10 commemorates the UN General Assembly's 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris, one of the most influential international human rights documents, setting out fundamental rights to be universally protected.

It's observed annually with events and campaigns worldwide addressing specific human rights themes, often marking the culmination of a broader annual human rights advocacy period.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights the day commemorates was adopted with 48 votes in favor, 8 abstentions, and zero votes against, a rare instance of near-total consensus in the UN General Assembly's early history.

The Universal Declaration was drafted by a UN committee that included Eleanor Roosevelt, who chaired the drafting process and is widely credited as one of the document's most influential contributors.

The Universal Declaration has been translated into more languages than any other document in modern history according to UN records, reflecting its status as one of the most widely referenced international texts ever produced.