December 10 - International Human Rights Day: History and Traditions

International Human Rights Day is celebrated annually on December 10 in Russia and other countries. In 2024, it falls on Tuesday. "Izvestia" tells us what global document the celebration is associated with and what theme was chosen for this year's celebration.

International Human Rights Day - 2024: the history of the holiday on December 10

International Human Rights Day is a global holiday established by the UN General Assembly in 1950. It is timed to the adoption of one of the most important documents in history - the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was signed in 1948 at the third session of the UN General Assembly.

The document consists of 30 articles, each of which describes the basic rights of every person regardless of gender, age, race, nationality, religion and other factors. In particular, it proclaims the right of every person to life, liberty and security of person, the right to equal and fair protection of the law, unimpeded movement, nationality, marriage, etc. The Declaration also prohibits torture, slavery, degradation of human dignity, unjustified arrest, detention or exile.

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The Declaration was prompted by the world community's reflection on the events of the Second World War. From 1939 to 1945, according to various estimates, between 55 million and 70 million people died. Many of them were victims of inhumane Nazi ideology: people were sent to mass shootings, burned in gas chambers, tortured, starved and used as free labor just because they belonged to certain nationalities. According to the plan of the Nazi German leadership, Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, as well as peoples living on the territory of the USSR countries were subject to total extermination.

To prevent the repetition of these terrible events, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. The document became the basis for many international and national laws and legal acts.

In Russia, human rights and freedoms are guaranteed by the Constitution, and their protection is the responsibility of the state.

Traditions of the International Human Rights Day in 2024

Every year the celebration of International Human Rights Day is dedicated to a certain theme. In different years, the central themes of the celebration have been the fight against discrimination, human rights education, protection of equality and justice, restoration of the rights of every person after the coronavirus pandemic and other topical issues.

The theme for 2024 is "Our Rights, Our Future Now". The main goal of the campaign is to emphasize the importance of respecting human rights for building a peaceful and just society, as well as their role in solving global problems.

Traditionally, various conferences, lectures, speeches by lawyers and human rights defenders are held around the world in honor of the holiday. Summits are organized to improve the law enforcement and judicial system, as well as to support the most vulnerable segments of the population.

Since 1968, every five years, the United Nations Prize has been awarded to individuals and organizations active in the field of human rights. Its laureates at different times were Martin Luther King, Eleanor Roosevelt and Nelson Mandella.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and traditions of Lawyer's Day in Russia.