Human rights are the fundamental freedoms and dignity that every person deserves. They are rooted in two core values: the value of each person’s intrinsic worth, and the principle that everyone is equal. These are the fundamental beliefs that drive the global human rights movement. They are reflected in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948 and in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and its Optional Protocols.

The concept of human rights emerged in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, during a period of revolutions and emerging national identities. It was first codified in documents such as the American Declaration of Independence (1776) and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789). These principles were based on the idea that all people are born with certain ‘natural rights’ that should be protected by their governments.

The UDHR is a universal document, meaning it applies to all people, everywhere in the world. It is indivisible and interdependent, which means that each individual’s rights are intrinsically connected and no one right can be enjoyed in isolation from the others. Moreover, all rights are inalienable and cannot be taken away from individuals, because they are rooted in each person’s inherent value and dignity and are essential for people to live with their full humanity.