Human Rights Day 2023: Theme, History, Significance

Every year Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 to commemorate the adoption of Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly on the same day in 1948. The day is observed internationally with events, seminars and other activities conducted by organizations all over the world. Human Rights Day was formally established at the 317th Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on 4 December 1950. Human rights refer to basic rights or freedoms such as right to live, health, education, freedom of speech and thoughts, and equal rights. Let us learn some interesting details about Human Rights Day 2023 such as its history, significance, celebration, etc in this post.

Human Rights Day 2023 Date

Below mentioned are the upcoming dates for Human Rights Day for the next 5 years.

Human Rights Day 2023 Overview

Significance of Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day is observed with the objective to promote peace, equality, justice and to protect basic human rights andensure freedom. Every person in the world, irrespective of race, color, religion, sex, language, or social status, is entitled to basic human rights. To ensure every individual identify these rights and to emphasize on the need for their protection, United Nations has declared the observation of Human Rights Day. This year too Human Rights Day 2023 will be celebrated with the same agenda, i.e, to protect and promote basic human rights. Human Rights Day also commemorates the adoption of Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948.

Human Rights Day Observation History

After the cruelty of World War II, it was felt important to make basic human rights an international priority. The United Nations was formed in 1945 after the World War was over and in 1948 its General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets out the fundamental human rights that should be universally protected. The UDHR was adopted on December 10, 1948.

Following this, the Assembly passed a resolution, resolution 423(V), in 1950, inviting all States and interested organizations to adopt 10 December as Human Rights Day. The declaration was passed and adopted by the Member States unanimously and the Human Rights Day was finally established on 4 December 1950. The first Human Rights Day was thus observed on December 10, 1950.

Human Rights Day 2023 Celebration

Human Rights Day is celebrated every year by different major organizations and even by individuals all over the world. The day is counted among the special days in December. Seminars, meetings, high-level political conferences and cultural events are organized all over the world to educate about human rights and to deal with various human rights issues. On this day, the five-yearly United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize are awarded as well. Many governmental bodies, non-governmental organizations and civil and social-cause organizations working in the field of human rights conduct special events to commemorate the day. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights coordinates and co-organizes various cultural events and performances, public meetings and seminars, and other educational activities in promotion of human rights.

Human Rights Day 2023 Theme & Campaign

December 10 2023 will mark the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Right. A year before reaching this milestone, the United Nations will launch a year-long campaign on December 10, 2023 to showcase the UDHR by focusing on its legacy, relevance and activism. The campaign “seeks to shift the needle of understanding and action towards greater knowledge of the universality of the UDHR and the activism associated with it”.

The theme for Human Rights Day 2023 celebration is not yet decided. This year’s theme is “Freedom, Equality and Justice for All“.

Human Rights Day in Other Countries

In South Africa, Human Rights Day is celebrated on 21 March to pay honor to those killed in the Sharpeville massacre. The massacre took place on 21 March 1960. In Kirabati, Human Rights Day is celebrated on 11 December.

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