Why is it in the news?
- Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights continues to serve as a foundational document in the pursuit of global human rights and dignity.
Key Features
- Recognizes inherent dignity as the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace.
- Declares human rights as universal, applicable to all people regardless of location or identity.
- Its Components includes Preamble and 30 articles outlining fundamental rights and freedoms, covering civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights.
- Drafting Committee: Chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt; Included members from eight countries, reflecting global diversity. Over 50 U.N. member countries contributed to the drafting, including India.
| Achievements
· Inspirational foundation for over 70 global and regional human rights treaties. · Influenced movements like decolonization, anti-apartheid, and freedom struggles worldwide.
Challenges · Not legally binding, leading to misuse and abuse. · Faces challenges in conflicts such as Israel-Hamas, Russia-Ukraine, and internal conflicts in Myanmar and Sudan.
India’s Contribution · Represented by Hansa Mehta, M.R. Masani, and Lakshmi Menon during drafting. · Substantial contributions by Indian representatives. · Hansa Mehta, a member of India’s Constituent Assembly, altered Article 1: “All men are born free and equal” to “All human beings are born free and equal” in the UDHR. |
