International Human Rights Day -10 December 2023

International Human Rights Day is celebrated annually on 10 December. It marks the Assembly’s anniversary of adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. 10 December 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of one of the world’s most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being (regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status).

Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world. Although the Declaration is not binding, it inspired more than 60 human rights instruments, constituting an international human rights standard. In South Africa, Human Rights Day is commemorated annually on 21 March to remind South Africans about the sacrifices that accompanied the struggle for the attainment of democracy. As the world faces challenges that are new and ongoing (such as pandemics, conflicts, exploding inequalities, racism, and climate change) – the values and rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) provide guideposts for our collective actions that do not leave anyone behind.