On this day in 1948, in the aftermath of the horrific tragedies and chilling totalitarianism that came to define the Second World War, a diverse group of representatives from every part of the world gathered at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, France. Despite their vastly different cultures, traditions, and beliefs, each shared a common vision of protecting the individual rights, freedoms, and dignity of every human on the planet in the wake of the previous decade’s atrocities.
Of the 58 members of the United Nations General Assembly that gathered that day to adopt Resolution 217A, 48 voted in favor of ratifying the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with none against.
It is interesting to note that the empathy and willingness of former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt to cooperate with a variety of actors she did not necessarily agree with, or even admire, played a pivotal role in the resolution’s adoption on a global scale.
In a 2018 interview about the history and impact of the UDHR, former U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said, “[Roosevelt] was in many ways the quintessential multilateralist, looking beyond her national interests and recognizing that certain values and interests transcend national agendas and are common to humanity.”
“No cause can justify the abuse of human rights.”
— Irene Khan
Since then, much has happened around the world related to human rights — though not all of it has been good, and human freedom continues to be threatened on an almost constant basis in many parts of the world today.
According to a recent report from advocacy group Freedom House, “the global decline in democracy has accelerated.” Less than one-fifth of the global population now lives in a nation that is considered fully free. Notably, the report described the United States as a “troubled democracy,” with our Freedom in the World score dropping 11 points over the last ten years. As a result, the organization’s president, Michael J. Abramowitz, stressed the importance of “strengthening and expanding political rights and civil liberties for all” in the U.S.
Living through an era of societal hardheartedness and division has not been an easy thing for me over the last decade, and it has been especially difficult amid the pandemic. In the last two years, I have watched some of the best people I’ve known succumb to the temptations of cruelty and despotic behavior toward others they didn’t agree with. Too often in the past two years, I’ve found myself wondering what the years leading up to the errors of the past were like for those that were forced to endure them.
To that end, I felt it was important this year on 10 December to remind readers of how high the stakes are for human rights and civil liberties as we approach 2022.
On this Human Rights Day 2021, I encourage everyone to take a few moments to read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — and to let its tenets guide your personal behavior in the year to come.
May the UDHR become the example by which we all live our lives — how we choose to behave toward others; the policies we choose to promote, vote for, or enforce; and the foundation upon which every decision we make rests regarding the rights, freedoms, and dignity of others, especially those that are different from us.