Celebrating Human Rights Day 2024: "Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now"

Today marks the observance of Human Rights Day, celebrated globally every 10th of December to honor the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This year’s theme, “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now”, emphasizes the critical role human rights play in empowering individuals and communities to create a better tomorrow.

The UDHR, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948, outlines the fundamental rights to which all individuals are entitled, regardless of race, gender, nationality, or any other status. It remains one of the most transformative global documents, setting a universal standard for human rights protections worldwide. To date, it has been translated into 577 languages, making it the most translated document in history.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the ongoing importance of human rights in his message for this year’s observance. “Human rights are the foundation for peaceful, just, and inclusive societies,” Guterres said. “This Human Rights Day, we focus on how human rights can serve as a transformative force, creating a safer, fairer world for all.”

The theme, Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now, calls for global mobilization to counter hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation while stressing the need for actionable change at every level of society. It emphasizes that human rights are not just legal concepts but powerful tools for social transformation that can help solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including inequality, violence, and climate change.

Human Rights Day also serves as a reminder of the ongoing global efforts to uphold the rights of marginalized communities, combat human rights violations, and continue the work towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Declaration’s values remain at the heart of global and national policies aimed at creating just and sustainable societies.

As we celebrate Human Rights Day 2024, the UN calls on everyone—governments, civil society, and individuals—to reaffirm their commitment to safeguarding human rights and advocating for a world that upholds equality, peace, and dignity for all.