HiStories: 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

In 2023, we mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This new episode of HiStories explores the fascinating history of this milestone document.

The UDHR is considered the foundation of international human rights law, and yet, much of its history, and the diverse people and bodies who worked to draft it, remain little-known.

This episode explores the drafting process of the UDHR, highlights the diversity of actors who contributed to framing the Declaration, and examines the challenges that were overcome for its adoption. We also look at how the UDHR inspired pivotal human rights treaties, and why the Declaration remains a critical and relevant document in today’s evolving multilateral system. You'll also get the chance to see unique archival documents linked to the UDHR that are kept by the UN Library & Archives Geneva.

SPEAKERS:

Chitralekha Massey, Chief of Partnerships and Constituency Building on Economic, Social and Development Issues, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Dr. Steven Jensen, Senior Researcher, Danish Institute for Human Rights.

Danielle Hughes, Chief, Records Management Unit, United Nations Library & Archives Geneva.

RESOURCES:

Explore the UN Archives Geneva platform here: https://archives.ungeneva.org/

Ask An Archivist here: https://ask.unog.ch/archives
---
Produced at the UN Library & Archives Geneva