What human rights really mean

Abstract

Fifty years ago, on December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Forty‐eight member states voted for the Declaration; eight abstained, including the USSR and five of its allies, as well as South Africa and Saudi Arabia. The Declaration's preamble states that the recognition “of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world.” It further indicates, “If man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, then human rights should be protected by the rule of law.”

The thirty Articles that follow evoke other classic statements, going back to the original U.S. Declaration of Independence of 1776, and the French Revolutionary Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1789: Article One says that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” Article Three indicates that “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” Article Seven states that “All are equal before the law.” A string of personal rights are thereafter specified by the Declaration, although some of them were not to be implemented for almost half a century by some of the signatories.