2011: An extraordinary year for human rights , Help us celebrate human rights!

Human Rights Day 2011

EVENTS :

New york

The High Commissioner for Human Rights will host a global conversation on human rights through social media on Friday, 9 December at 9:30 a.m. New York time.

Geneva

On 9 December at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, there will be a dialogue focusing on the transformational role of social media, including discussion of the extraordinary events over the past year, personal experiences of campaigners from countries in the process of change, and those working for social and cultural equity in different regions and perspectives from conventional media operators.

Around the world

United Nations offices around the world are partnering with civil society organisations, governments and academic institutions to commemorate Human Rights Day 2011 through a range of events.
Examples include: a seminar on human rights defenders and social media in Cairo, Egypt; social media campaigns on human rights in Mexico and Cameroon; a panel discussion in Nairobi, Kenya on the use of social media and new technologies to advocate for human rights; and a human rights film festival and concert in Yerevan, Armenia.

 

About Human Rights Day

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted on 10 December 1948. The date has since served to mark Human Rights Day worldwide. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, as the main UN rights official, and her Office play a major role in coordinating efforts for the yearly observance of Human Rights Day.

The UDHR: the foremost statement of the rights and freedoms of all human beings

The Declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, consists of a preamble and 30 articles, setting out a broad range of fundamental human rights and freedoms to which all men and women, everywhere in the world, are entitled, without any distinction.
The Declaration was drafted by representatives of all regions and legal traditions. It has over time been accepted as a contract between governments and their peoples. Virtually all states have accepted it. The Declaration has also served as the foundation for an expanding system of human rights protection that today focuses also on vulnerable groups such as disabled persons, indigenous peoples and migrant workers.

The Most Universal Document in the World

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has been awarded the Guinness World Record for having collected, translated and disseminated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into more than 380 languages and dialects: from Abkhaz to Zulu. The Universal Declaration is thus the most translated document - indeed, the most "universal" one in the world.


It has been a year like no other for human rights. Human rights activism has never been more topical or more vital. And through the transforming power of social media, ordinary people have become human rights activists.

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This year, millions of people decided the time had come to claim their rights. They took to the streets and demanded change. Many found their voices using the internet and instant messaging to inform, inspire and mobilize supporters to seek their basic human rights. Social media helped activists organize peaceful protest movements in cities across the globe - from Tunis to Madrid, from Cairo to New York - at times in the face of violent repression.

Human rights belong equally to each of us and bind us together as a global community with the same ideals and values. As a global community we all share a day in common: Human Rights Day on 10 December, when we remember the creation 63 years ago of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
On Human Rights Day 2011, we pay tribute to all human rights defenders and ask you to get involved in the global human rights movement.

2011: An extraordinary year for human rights

The High Commissioner for Human Rights will host a global conversation on human rights through social media on Friday, 9 December at 9:30 a.m. New York time.
We want you to be part of it – join the conversation, send a question, watch it live.

Help us celebrate human rights!