International Human Rights Day 2013

Date: 10th December 2013
Category: General measures of implementation

Human Rights Day is held on 10th December every year, the date the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaiming its principles as the "common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations".

In 2013, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights marks 20 years since its establishment.

• Read the 20 most important human rights achievements accomplished since 1993 here.

The extraordinary political, social and economic events of the past two decades have helped unlock the potential of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, revitalising the human rights movement and generating progress in the implementation of human rights principles into common law, at a pace few could have imagined in 1993.

In the past 20 years, there has been fundamental progress in the advancement of women's rights, the development of international law to achieve accountability for human rights abuses, the protection and promotion of the rights of marginalised groups including children and a much greater understanding of the universality and indivisibility of human rights.

• Find out more about the UN Human Rights Office 20th anniversary here.