Human rights are the moral principles or norms that establish standards of behaviour and are protected by international and national laws. They cover a wide range of civil, political, economic, and cultural rights such as the right to freedom of speech, protection against discrimination and the right to education. Human rights are inalienable, meaning they belong to everyone simply by virtue of being born, and they cannot be taken away, although under certain circumstances some – though not all – may be suspended or restricted.
They also show us that each of our rights are indivisible and interrelated, and that taking one away impacts on all the others. It is for this reason that all UN member states must work together to uphold human rights. The United Nations alone cannot do this on a global scale, but every individual can make a difference by living and respecting human rights, as urged in Article 29 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The concept of human rights has roots in many cultures and traditions. It is not a 20th century invention, but a response to universal human needs and the quest for justice. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, advances were made in promoting human rights through international agreements on the abolition of slavery, the suppression of child labour and better working conditions. But it was only with the onset of World War II and the founding of the United Nations that human rights as we know them today came into being.
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