Skip to main content

International Human Rights

Human Rights Day is celebrated every year on 10th December throughout the world. The day aims for addressing human rights issues. Conferences, debates, and discussions are held as well as significant laws protecting human rights are also proposed and implemented.

Human Rights Day - History

Human Rights Day commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly on 10th December 1948. The United Nations General Assembly in 1950 had passed a resolution 423(V). In the resolution, it had called for all the member states to observe 10th December as Human Rights Day. After its establishment in 1945, this was one of the very first things that the United Nations did after its establishment.

The resolution for Human Rights Day was adopted with 48 states in favor and eight being absent.

Observance

The starting observations of Human Rights Day were a success. The popularity of the day could only be ascertained from the fact that the commemorative human rights stamps, sold by the United Nations Postal Department in 1952, received 200, 000 advance orders.

The day is observed today, in different parts of the world, with participants from politics, social work, and human rights activists. The primary aim is to discuss human rights and also make the people aware of it.

The poor and oppressed sections of the society who are more vulnerable to human rights violations are addressed. Several human rights organizations chart out constructive operational plans to ensure that every issue of human rights violation is addressed.

Dates around the Globe

Though the human rights day is widely observed throughout the globe on 10th December; some of the nations have a slight variation in the dates.

For example, in the United States, a human rights week is observed, beginning on 9th December. The week was proclaimed in a 2001 presidential order issued by the then-President George W. Bush.

Another example is that of South Africa, where the human rights day is observed on 21st March instead of 10th December. The date was chosen to commemorate the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre and its victims. The massacre took place on 21st March 1960 as a protest against the apartheid regime in South Africa.

The Republic of Kiribati located in the central Pacific Ocean observes human rights day on 11th December.

Significance

Human rights are the privileges that must be provided to every individual as a part of his/her normal day to day life. These may be understood as the fundamental rights to which every human is entitled. There isn’t any discrimination of any kind based on culture, skin color, religion, or what so ever. Human rights are equally applicable to all humans on the planet.

Sadly, despite the awareness about human rights, many incidents of human rights violations are also reported from across the world. The majority of those vulnerable to the violations are from the poor and deprived section of society. Factors like poverty and illiteracy force them at the mercy of others well to do and wealthy individuals. Therefore, it is very necessary to observe a day such as ‘Human Rights Day’ to raise the issue of these human rights violations and also to make more and more people aware of their own rights and privileges as human beings.

In the end 

Observations like the human rights day not only protect the rights of individuals as humans but also help make the society equal and unbiased. It is very necessary for us to realize that as humans we need to protect each other’s rights. It is only if we respect human rights that we grow as a society

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Articles

Cousin Marriages: A Medical Student’s Evidence-Based Response to Common Misconceptions

Cousin marriage, especially first-cousin marriage, is a widely practiced tradition in many parts of the world, including South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. In societies where it is normalized, it is often defended strongly, not only by families, but even by some healthcare professionals. It’s not uncommon to hear statements like: Cousin marriage is usually safe. Other communities like Hindus and Christians have genetic disorders too. The risk only appears after 4–5 generations. Only rare conditions like thalassemia are a concern. Since Islam allows it, it must be safe. As a medical student, I believe it is essential to address these misconceptions using undeniable scientific facts, population genetics, and a responsible interpretation of Islamic ethics. Claim 1: "Cousin marriage is usually safe, so there's no reason to resist it." Truth: It may not always cause harm, but it certainly increases risk. Science does not claim that cousin marriage is always danger...
Post a Comment
Read more

Medical Students are Humans, not Machines

I'm writing this with a heavy heart, as I'm sure many of my fellow medical students will resonate with the struggles I'm about to share. Pursuing an MBBS degree is already a challenging journey, both physically and mentally demanding. But the recent decisions made by the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore have pushed us to the brink. We're currently dealing with a perfect storm of pressure. The summer season in Pakistan is notorious for its scorching heatwaves, and to make matters worse, UHS has shortened our summer breaks to merely a week. But that's not all, they've also snatched away our most important preparation leaves, which were our only solace in the midst of this chaos. These preparation leaves were our lifeline, allowing us to revise and consolidate our knowledge before the final professional exams. Without them, we're expected to recall and retain the vast syllabus covered over the past three months. It's like trying to drink from a ...
4 comments
Read more