The preservation of human rights
The year was 1945 and World War II, the deadliest conflict in human history, had come to an end. In its wake arose the United Nations, an organization unprecedented in its multilateralism and commitment to upholding global peace. Conflict for much of human history was characterized by a near-total disregard for human dignity and basic unalienable rights. One of the newly-formed United Nations’ first actions was to establish a committee to draft a universal declaration of human rights. UNGA Resolution 217 would be adopted later in 1948 to formally ratify the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Consisting of 30 articles, the declaration was monumental and encompassed such rights as the prohibition of slavery and torture, freedom of speech, and the right to an adequate standard of living.
Eleanor Roosevelt holding the original Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Wikimedia)
While the significance of the UDHR cannot be understated, the years since its adoption have been tumultuous. Progress has been made in several different fields. The right of women to vote has evolved from a privilege reserved to a select few countries to a commonality around the world. There has also been progress made in fields such as slavery, marriage equality, and consumer protections. With that being said, the human rights shortfalls of today cannot be overlooked. According to a report by the International Labor Organization (ILO) shows that over 50 million people around the world live in some form of slavery, over 3 million of which are children. Campaigns of hatred have put the lives of religious and ethnic minorities around the world in jeopardy, with genocides in Myanmar, China, and Sudan among other countries highlighting the persecution that continues to permeate across the world. Additionally, the rise of authoritarianism has made the human rights situation of billions of people worse and considerably harder to rectify.
The United Nations strives to give basic human rights to all (United Nations)
The UDHR and other similar attempts to promote human rights have faced opposition in several places, some examples of which are more justified than others. Cultural traditions can lead to differing applications and interpretations of what rights are inherently conferred to human beings, but it shouldn’t interfere with the underlying, unalienable rights that all people are entitled to regardless of such considerations. Our differences should be celebrated, but we mustn’t forget that we all form part of a wider, global community. We’re all part of the same species, we all share the same planet, and we all have something to offer this world. As history has shown time and time again, many of humanity’s greatest achievements have come through shared commitments. The creation of the UN was made possible by the contributions of 50 countries, a partnership of 15 countries led to the creation of the ISS, and dozens of countries provide annual assistance to address natural disasters. If we wish to make the world a better place, international cooperation must be at the forefront of our approach to solve global issues and promote human rights.