The Universal Declaration

of Human Rights by the

UN

A Report Submitted to the Department of Translation

College of Languages

University of Duhok

Student name: Khalid Ahmad Ramadan

Moodle Email: kk143859@gmail.com
Year: 1st
Course: Human Rights
Course code: LTE1205
Instructor: Mr. Diler Ismail
Date: 6/26/2020
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................2
THE DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS BY UN ............................................3--7
RECOMMENDATION ..........................................................................................8

REFERENCES.........................................................................................9

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1. Introduction
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document
in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal
and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was
proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December
1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of
achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time,
fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated
into over 500 languages.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN

General Assembly on 10 December 1948, was the result of the experience of the
Second World War. With the end of that war, and the creation of the United
Nations, the international community vowed never again to allow atrocities like
those of that conflict happen again. World leaders decided to complement the
UN Charter with a road map to guarantee the rights of every individual
everywhere. The document they considered, and which would later become the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was taken up at the first session of the
General Assembly in 1946.

The Assembly reviewed this draft Declaration on Fundamental Human Rights

and Freedoms and transmitted it to the Economic and Social Council "for
reference to the Commission on Human Rights for consideration . . . in its
preparation of an international bill of rights." The Commission, at its first
session early in 1947, authorized its members to formulate what it termed "a
preliminary draft International Bill of Human Rights". Later the work was taken
over by a formal drafting committee, consisting of members of the Commission
from eight States, selected with due regard for geographical distribution.

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The Commission on Human Rights was made up of 18 members from various

political, cultural and religious backgrounds. Eleanor Roosevelt, widow of
American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, chaired the UDHR drafting
committee. With her were René Cassin of France, who composed the first draft
of the Declaration, the Committee Rapporteur Charles Malik of Lebanon, Vice-
Chairman Peng Chung Chang of China, and John Humphrey of Canada,
Director of the UN’s Human Rights Division, who prepared the Declaration’s
blueprint. But Mrs. Roosevelt was recognized as the driving force for the
Declaration’s adoption.

2. A BRIEF HISTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS

World War II had ranged from 1939 to 1945, and as the end drew near, cities
throughout Europe and Asia lay in smoldering ruins. Millions of people were
dead, millions more were homeless or starving. Russian forces were closing in
on the remnants of German resistance in Germany’s bombed-out capital of
Berlin. In the Pacific, US Marines were still battling entrenched Japanese forces
on such islands as Okinawa.

In April 1945, delegates from fifty countries met in San Francisco full of
optimism and hope. The goal of the United Nations Conference on International
Organization was to fashion an international body to promote peace and prevent
future wars. The ideals of the organization were stated in the preamble to its
proposed charter: “We the peoples of the United Nations are determined to save
succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has
brought untold sorrow to mankind.”

The Charter of the new United Nations organization went into effect on October
24, 1945, a date that is celebrated each year as United Nations Day.

3. Why Human Rights Are Important

Interest and awareness of human rights has grown in recent decades. In 1948,
the United Nations released the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which

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has become the most important document of what should be considered the
standard for basic equality and human dignity. Why do human rights matter?
Here are ten specific reasons:

1. Human rights ensure people have basic needs met

Everyone needs access to medicine, food and water, clothes, and shelter. By
including these in a person’s basic human rights, everyone has a baseline level
of dignity. Unfortunately, there are still millions of people out there who don’t
have these necessities, but saying it’s a matter of human rights allows activists
and others to work towards getting those for everyone.

2. Human rights protect vulnerable groups from abuse

The Declaration of Human Rights was created largely because of the Holocaust
and the horrors of WII. During that time in history, the most vulnerable in
society were targeted along with the Jewish population, including those with
disabilities and LGBT. Organizations concerned with human rights focus on
members of society most vulnerable to abuse from powerholders, instead of
ignoring them.

3. Human rights allow people to stand up to societal corruption

The concept of human rights allows people to speak up when they experience
abuse and corruption. This is why specific rights like the right to assemble are so
crucial because no society is perfect. The concept of human rights empowers
people and tells them that they deserve dignity from society, whether it’s the
government or their work environment. When they don’t receive it, they can
stand up.

4. Human rights encourage freedom of speech and expression

While similar to what you just read above, being able to speak freely without
fear of brutal reprisal is more expansive. It encompasses ideas and forms of
expression that not everybody will like or agree with, but no one should ever

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feel like they are going to be in danger from their government because of what
they think. It goes both ways, too, and protects people who want to debate or
argue with certain ideas expressed in their society.

5. Human rights give people the freedom to practice their religion (or not
practice any)
Religious violence and oppression occur over and over again all across history,
from the Crusades to the Holocaust to modern terrorism in the name of religion.
Human rights acknowledge the importance of a person’s religion and spiritual
beliefs, and lets them practice in peace. The freedom to not hold to a religion is
also a human right.

6. Human rights allow people to love who they choose

The importance of freedom to love cannot be understated. Being able to choose
what one’s romantic life looks like is an essential human right. The
consequences of not protecting this right are clear when you look at countries
where LGBT people are oppressed and abused, or where women are forced into
marriages they don’t want.

7. Human rights encourage equal work opportunities

The right to work and make a living allows people to flourish in their society.
Without acknowledging that the work environment can be biased or downright
oppressive, people find themselves enduring abuse or insufficient opportunities.
The concept of human rights provides a guide for how workers should be treated
and encourages equality.

8. Human rights give people access to education

Education is important for so many reasons and is crucial for societies where
poverty is common. Organizations and governments concerned with human
rights provide access to schooling, supplies, and more in order to halt the cycle

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of poverty. Seeing education as a right means everyone can get access, not just
the elite.

9. Human rights protect the environment

The marriage between human rights and environmentalism is becoming stronger
due to climate change and the effects it has on people. We live in the world, we
need the land, so it makes sense that what happens to the environment impacts
humanity. The right to clean air, clean soil, and clean water are all as important
as the other rights included in this list.

10.Human rights provide a universal standard that holds governments

accountable
When the UDHR was released, it had a two-fold purpose: provide a guideline
for the future and force the world to acknowledge that during WWII, human
rights had been violated on a massive scale. With a standard for what is a human
right, governments can be held accountable for their actions. There’s power in
naming an injustice and pointing to a precedent, which makes the UDHR and
other human right documents so important.

4. Is the Universal Declaration legally binding?

The Universal Declaration is not a treaty, so it does not directly create legal
obligations for countries.

However, it is an expression of the fundamental values which are shared by all

members of the international community. And it has had a profound influence on
the development of international human rights law. Some argue that because
countries have consistently invoked the Declaration for more than sixty years, it
has become binding as a part of customary international law.

Further, the Universal Declaration has given rise to a range of other international
agreements which are legally binding on the countries that ratify them. These
include:

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 the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and

 the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(ICESCR).

Other binding agreements which expand on the rights contained in the Universal
Declaration include:

 the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

1965
 the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women 1979
 the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment 1984
 the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989
 the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2006

5. WHAT IS THE RELEVANCE OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION

OF HUMAN RIGHTS 70 YEARS AFTER ITS ADOPTION?
The UDHR is, as its title suggests, universal – meaning it applies to all people,
in all countries around the world. Although it is not legally binding, the
protection of the rights and freedoms set out in the Declaration has been
incorporated into many national constitutions and domestic legal frameworks.

The Declaration has also provided the foundation from which a wealth of other
legally binding human rights treaties has been developed, and has become a
clear benchmark for the universal human rights standards that must be promoted
and protected in all countries.

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The UDHR continues to serve as a foundation for national and international

laws and standards. For organizations like Amnesty who are committed to
protecting and fighting for human rights, it acts as a guiding inspiration for our
mission and vision.

6. Recommendation
 All peoples are equal. Equality is a principle, which determines that all
citizens are the same in rights and in duties, no matter of differences in
nationality, race, religion, sex, language, education, culture or social status
 All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they
freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic,
social and cultural development.
 All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth
and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of
international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual
benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its
own means of subsistence.

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7. References

1. https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/what-universal-declaration-human-
rights#:~:text=The%20Universal%20Declaration%20was
%20adopted,statement%20of%20inalienable%20human%20rights.
2. https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/universal-declaration-of-human-
rights/
3. https://www.cordaid.org/en/news/one-young-world-summit-culminates-
powerful-declaration/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgsH
2uWc6gIV0u7tCh25PQ28EAAYASAAEgL7LvD_BwE
4. https://www.humanrights.com/what-are-human-rights/brief-history/the-
united-nations.html
5. https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/10-reasons-why-human-rights-
are-important/