Human Rights Day 2021 and Its Significance

Every year Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10 all around the world. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, was the first legal document to set out the fundamental human rights to be universally protected.

Human rights are our basic rights or freedoms. They include our right to live, our right to health, education, freedom of speech and thoughts, and equal rights. Some groups organize protests on Human Rights Day to alert people of circumstances in parts of the world where human rights are not recognized or respected, or where these rights are not considered to be important.

Every year this day celebrates with a specific theme. The theme of the day for this year is “EQUALITY - Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights.” The theme relates to 'Equality' and Article 1 of the UDHR – “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

At the heart of human rights lie the principles of equality and non-discrimination. Equality has the power to help break cycles of poverty; it can give young people the world over the same opportunities; it can help in advancing the right to a healthy environment; it can help tackle the root causes of conflict and crisis.

Despite the efforts to protect human rights, the hostility toward human rights and those who defend them continues to rise. As a result, this year’s Human Rights Day advocates for everyone to stand up for their rights and those of others’ civil, economic, political, and cultural rights.