About Human Rights Day

About Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on 10 December. It commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its formal inception dates from 1950, after the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V) inviting all States and interested organizations to adopt 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, as the main UN rights official, and her Office play a major role in coordinating efforts for the yearly observation of Human Rights Day.

About OHCHR

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) helps protect and promote all human rights around the world. Headquartered in Geneva, the Office is also present in over 40 countries. OHCHR works to ensure the enforcement of universally recognized human rights norms, including through promoting both the universal ratification and implementation of human rights treaties and respect for the rule of law. It also aims to remove obstacles to the full realization of all human rights and to prevent or stop human rights abuses. For more information please visit www.ohchr.org.

Main Documents on Human Rights

• Charter of the United Nations
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 (available in over 300 languages)
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1966
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966
• Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
  aiming at the abolition of the death penalty
• 50th anniversary of the Declaration
• Vienna Declaration
• Research Guide

Documents on Poverty

• General Assembly Resolution on Human rights and extreme poverty (2005) - A/RES/59/186
• Human Rights and Poverty Reduction: A Conceptual Framework (2004)
• Principles and Guidelines on a Human Rights Approach to Poverty Reduction Strategies (2006)
• Frequently Asked Questions on a Human Rights-Based Approach to Development Cooperation
• Implementation of existing human rights norms and standards in the context of the fight
  against extreme poverty (2006) - A/HRC/Sub.1/58/L.16
• Human Rights, Health and Poverty Reduction Strategies, WHO
• The Social Forum (2006) - A/HRC/Sub.1/58/L.15
• The Social Forum - Report of the Chairperson-Rapporteur, José Bengoa, in accordance with
  Sub-Commission resolution 2005/8 and Human Rights Council decision 2006/102 (2006) - A/HRC/Sub.1/58/15
• The challenges of women's participation in policies and strategies to combat poverty and
  extreme poverty - Working paper submitted by Ms. Chin-sung Chung (2006) - A/HRC/Sub.1/58/SF/3
• The fight against poverty and the right to participation: the role of women - Background note by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2006) - A/HRC/Sub.1/58/SF/2
• Implementation of existing human rights norms and standards in the context of the fight against extreme poverty - Final report submitted by José Bengoa, coordinator of the ad hoc group of experts (2006) - A/HRC/Sub.1/58/16
• Promoting the right to development in the context of the United Nations Decade for the
  Elimination of Poverty (1997-2006) - Note by the Secretariat (2006) - E/CN.4/Sub.2/2006/12
• Report of the independent expert on human rights and extreme poverty, Arjun Sengupta -
  Mission to the United States of America (2006) - E/CN.4/2006/43/Add.1
• Report of the independent expert on human rights and extreme poverty, Arjun Sengupta (2006) - E/CN.4/2006/43
• Report of the Regional Workshop for the Americas entitled "Strategies for the inclusion of
  people of African descent in programmes to reduce poverty, especially to achieve Millennium Development Goal 1" (2006) - E/CN.4/2006/23
• The right to development - Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2005) - E/CN.4/2006/24
• Report of the high-level task force on the implementation of the right to development on its
  second meeting (2005) - E/CN.4/2005/WG.18/TF/3
• Implementation of existing human rights norms and standards in the context of the fight
  against ex treme poverty (2005) - E/CN.4/Sub.2/RES/2005/9

source : http://www.un.org