This article is part of a series sponsored by the Fund for Global Human Rights, an organization working to strengthen human rights around the world by finding and funding the most effective human rights activists.

Every year, December 10 marks Human Rights Day—a chance to reflect on the progress and potential of the human rights movement. But what are human rights? Where do they come from? And do they still matter?

In many ways, this has been a challenging year for the human rights movement. Authoritarian governments surged to power in countries around the world. Repressive legislation seeks to limit women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, migrants’ rights, and more. Successive global summits on biodiversity and climate change failed to meet the urgency of the moment. And violent conflicts continue to wreak havoc and devastation on vulnerable people, from Ukraine to Gaza. 

But this moment of global uncertainty and upheaval has reaffirmed that human rights are more important than ever. The core principles, outlined 76 years ago in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, continue to resonate and inspire courageous action. And human rights defenders across the globe continue to demonstrate unyielding bravery—from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Fund grantee Philippe Ruvunangiza was recently awarded the prestigious Civil Courage Prize for his work with mining-affected communities, to Mexico, where Fund grantee OFPC won a major case after decades of advocacy and litigation. 

As we take stock of this year’s progress on human rights, we put together this Q&A to remind everyone why human rights are still worth fighting for.

What are human rights? 

Human rights are universal and non-negotiable freedoms that are shared by everyone. They apply regardless of where you are from, what you believe, or how you choose to live your life—that’s what makes them universal. In 1948, in the aftermath of the horrors of World War II, the fledgling United Nations ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR outlines 30 of these shared freedoms, including the right to life; the right to be free from torture and from slavery; the right to seek asylum from persecution; and the rights to freedom of opinion, speech, and assembly. These rights, taken together, make up the basis for international human rights law. And that legal framework, in turn, has inspired and underpinned the global human rights movement. 

Read the full article about what are human rights by the Fund for Global Human Rights at Fund for Global Human Rights.