UNITED NATIONS – UNIVERSAL DECLARATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS

All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms.
The United Nations is committed to upholding, promoting and protecting the human rights of every individual. This
commitment stems from the United Nations Charter, which reaffirms the faith of the peoples of the world in fundamental
human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person.
In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations has stated in clear and simple terms the rights which belong
equally to every person.
These rights belong to you.
They are your rights. Familiarize yourself with them. Help to promote and defend them for yourself as well as for your fellow
human beings.

Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948

Preamble society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall

strive by teaching and education to promote respect for
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures,
equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human national and international, to secure their universal and
family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in effective recognition and observance, both among the
the world, peoples of Member States themselves and among the
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the
conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in
which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and Article 1
belief and freedom from fear and want has been
proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and
people, rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against
tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be Article 2
protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth
friendly relations between nations,
in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the race, colour, sex, language, eligion, political or other
Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other
rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the
in the equal rights of men and women and have basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of
determined to promote social progress and better the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether
standards of life in larger freedom, it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to other limitation of sovereignty.
achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the
promotion of universal respect for and observance of
human rights and fundamental freedoms, Article 3
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and
freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
realization of this pledge,
Now, therefore,
Article 4
The General Assembly
Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the
common standard of achievement for all peoples and all slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of
Article 5
Article 12
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his
privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks
Article 6 upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to
the protection of the law against such interference or
attacks.
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a
person before the law.
Article 13
Article 7
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and
residence within the borders of each State.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any
discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including
entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in his own, and to return to his country.
violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to
such discrimination. Article 14

Article 8 (1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other
countries asylum from persecution.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the (2) This right may not be invoked in the case of
competent national tribunals for acts violating the prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or
fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the
law. United Nations.

Article 9 Article 15

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
exile. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor
denied the right to change his nationality.
Article 10
Article 16
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public
hearing by an independent and impartial ribunal, in the (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due
determination of his rights and obligations and of any to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and
criminal charge against him. to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to
marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
Article 11 (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full
consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of
(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to
society and is entitled to protection by society and the
be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law
State.
in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees
necessary for his defence.
(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on Article 17
account of any act or omission which did not constitute a
penal offence, under national or international law, at the (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as
time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be in association with others.
imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
penal offence was committed.
Article 18 (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to
equal pay for equal work.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and
and religion; this right includes freedom to change his favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family
religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented,
community with others and in public or private, to manifest if necessary, by other means of social protection.
his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions
observance. for the protection of his interests.

Article 19 Article 24

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including
expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic
without interference and to seek, receive and impart holidays with pay.
information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers.
Article 25

Article 20 (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate

for the health and well-being of himself and of his family,
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly including food, clothing, housing and medical care and
and association. necessary social services, and the right to security in the
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association. event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood,
old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond
his control.
Article 21 (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care
and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of
(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
his country, directly or through freely chosen
representatives.
Article 26
(2) Everyone has the right to equal access to public service
in his country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be
of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages.
genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and
suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent professional education shall be made generally available
free voting procedures. and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on
the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of
Article 22 the human personality and to the strengthening of respect
for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall pro-
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social mote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all
security and is entitled to realization, through national nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the
effort and international cooperation and in accordance with activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of
the organization and resources of each State, of the peace.
economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of
dignity and the free development of his personality. education that shall be given to their children.

Article 23 Article 27

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the
employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to
to protection against unemployment. share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone
and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined
or artistic production of which he is the author. by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition
and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of
meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and
Article 28 the general welfare in a democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in contrary to the purposes and principles of the United
which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration Nations.
can be fully realized.

Article 30
Article 29

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone
for any State, group or person any right to engage in any
the free and full development of his personality is possible.
activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of
any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.