1948Reputable sourceWell documented

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On the timeline · around 1948 · Democracy for All

What happened

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the newly founded United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. It proclaimed for the first time that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights — including the right to take part in the government of one's country — as a common standard for all nations.

Why it matters

The Universal Declaration made democratic self-government and human rights a global aspiration rather than a Western one. It remains the foundation of modern human-rights law and a benchmark against which governments everywhere are still measured.

Sources

United Nations. Universal Declaration of Human Rights · Reputable source

Part of a timelineHistory of Democracy12 events · From an Athenian assembly to universal human rights — 2,500 years of the idea that people should rule themselves, every milestone sourced.View all →