Human Rights Day (10 December): Major themes & quotes on HR (human rights)

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very year around the world, Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10. The day marks the day on which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly.

The UDHR is a milestone document declaring the inalienable rights to which everyone, regardless of race, colour, faith, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, is entitled as a human being. On December 4, 1950, Human Rights Day was formally created.

Theme of Human Rights Day 2020

This year’s Human Rights Day theme is Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights. It refers to the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects on the need to rebuild better by ensuring that recovery efforts are focused on human rights.

The United Nations emphasises that human rights must be at the centre of the world post-COVID-19. “The COVID-19 crisis has been fuelled by deepening poverty, rising inequalities, structural and entrenched discrimination, and other gaps in human rights protection. Only measures to close these gaps and advance human rights can ensure we fully recover and build back a world that is better, more resilient, just and sustainable,” says the UN website.

Quotes on Human Rights

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King

“A right delayed is a right denied.” – Martin Luther King, Jr

“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.” – Nelson Mandela

“Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who struggle to gain those rights or keep them. Our strength is our unity of purpose. To that high concept there can be no end save victory.” – Franklin D Roosevelt

“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.” – John F Kennedy

“Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.” -Frederick Douglass

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” – Elie Wiesel

“There can be no peace without development, no development without peace, and no lasting peace or sustainable development without respect for human rights and the rule of law.” – Former UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” -United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Our hopes for a more just, safe, and peaceful world can only be achieved when there is universal respect for the inherent dignity and equal rights of all members of the human family.” – UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

“It means a great deal to those who are oppressed to know that they are not alone. Never let anyone tell you that what you are doing is insignificant.” – Desmond Tutu

“If you want to improve your quality of life and the quality of life for all women, never stop questioning society or calling for change.” – Justina De Pierris