"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” reads Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Here are six facts you may not know about this groundbreaking declaration:

  • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a milestone document in history; the United Nations notes that “it sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.”
  • The declaration is “generally agreed to be the foundation of international human rights law” and has inspired more than 80 international human rights treaties and declarations, according to the UN.
  • The UN General Assembly adopted the declaration on December 10, 1948. While progress has been made in upholding human rights, violations continue, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights continues to remind us that we all have human rights and we must stand up for them.

The UN Human Rights Office, noting today’s threats to human rights around the world, is calling on every person to be a human rights champion and #Standup4humanrights.

Read the full article by Jenni Lee about human rights from the United Nations Foundation