New York 10 December: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 60 today. To mark this anniversary, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has launched a year-long campaign to emphasize the importance of "Dignity and Justice for All".
In his Human Rights Day message, the Secretary-General said the Universal Declaration reflects the "extraordinary vision and determination" of its drafters, who produced a document that for the first time set out universal human rights for all people in an individual context. The Secretary-General noted that the Declaration is available today in more than 360 languages, making it is the most translated document in the world.
"The Declaration remains as relevant today as it did on the day it was adopted," the Secretary-General said. "But the fundamental freedoms enshrined in it are still not a reality for everyone. Too often, Governments lack the political will to implement international norms they have willingly accepted."
Message from the Secretary General on Human Rights Day