Universal Declaration of Human Rights Timeline

(1946 - Present)

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a landmark document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. Drafted in the aftermath of World War II, it proclaims the inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms to which all human beings are entitled, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. It has become the foundation of international human rights law and inspired numerous national constitutions and treaties worldwide. More Less

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Drafting and Adoption

UN Charter drafted with Smuts inserting 'dignity'

1945

Prime Minister Jan Smuts of South Africa played an important role in drafting the United Nations Charter in 1945, and it was Smuts who inserted the word 'dignity' as a human right into the charter, laying groundwork for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Image source: Charter of the United Nations

UN Charter drafted with Smuts inserting 'dignity'

ECOSOC creates the Commission on Human Rights

Jun 1946

In June 1946, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a principal organ of the newly founded United Nations responsible for promoting human rights, created the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), a standing body tasked with preparing what was initially conceived as an International Bill of Rights.

Image source: United Nations Commission on Human Rights

UDHR Drafting Committee established under Eleanor Roosevelt

Feb 1947

In February 1947, the Commission on Human Rights established a special Universal Declaration of Human Rights Drafting Committee, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt of the United States, to write the articles of the Declaration.

Image source: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Drafting Committee holds its first session

Jun 1947

During the Drafting Committee's first session in June 1947, debates and discussions informed the UDHR. In her memoirs, Eleanor Roosevelt described one such exchange among the drafters during these formative meetings.

UN Conference on Freedom of Information held

Mar 1948 - Apr 1948

The United Nations Conference on Freedom of Information took place in March and April 1948. Its comments and suggestions were principally considered by the Drafting Committee at its second session the following month.

Ninth International Conference of American States adopts rights declaration

Mar 1948 - May 1948

Held in Bogota, Colombia from March to May 1948, the Ninth International Conference of American States adopted the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, the world's first general international human rights instrument, informing the UDHR drafting process.

Drafting Committee holds its second and final session

May 1948 - May 21, 1948

Roughly a year after its creation, the Drafting Committee held its second and final session in May 1948, where it considered comments and suggestions of member states and international bodies, including the UN Conference on Freedom of Information, the Commission on the Status of Women, and the Ninth International Conference of American States.

Committee submits redrafted texts to the Commission

May 21, 1948

Upon the conclusion of its second session on 21 May 1948, the Committee submitted to the Commission on Human Rights a redrafted text of the 'International Declaration of Human Rights' and the 'International Covenant of Human Rights', which together would form an International Bill of Rights.

Commission examines redrafted Declaration in Geneva

May 21, 1948 - Jun 18, 1948

The redrafted Declaration was further examined and discussed by the Commission on Human Rights in its third session in Geneva from 21 May through 18 June 1948.

Malik highlights Smuts's role in adding dignity to the Charter

Jun 1948

In response during the Commission's deliberations, Charles Malik stated that Prime Minister Jan Smuts of South Africa had played an important role in drafting the United Nations Charter in 1945, and it was Smuts who inserted the word 'dignity' as a human right into the charter.

Image source: Charles Malik

Commission approves the proposed Declaration

Jun 18, 1948

With a vote of twelve in favour, none opposed, and four abstaining, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, with Eleanor Roosevelt in the chair, approved the proposed Declaration on 18 June 1948, although it was unable to examine the contents and implementation of the proposed Covenant.

ECOSOC reviews Declaration and Covenant at seventh session

Jul 1948 - Aug 1948

The Commission forwarded the approved text of the Declaration, as well as the Covenant, to the Economic and Social Council for its review and approval during its seventh session in July and August 1948.

Image source: United Nations Economic and Social Council

ECOSOC adopts Resolution 151(VII)

Aug 26, 1948

The Council adopted Resolution 151(VII) of 26 August 1948, transmitting the draft International Declaration of Human Rights to the UN General Assembly.

Third Committee holds 81 meetings on the draft Declaration

Sep 30, 1948 - Dec 7, 1948

The Third Committee of the General Assembly convened from 30 September to 7 December 1948 during the third session of the United Nations General Assembly, holding 81 meetings concerning the draft Declaration, including debating and resolving 168 proposals for amendments by member states.

Draft Declaration submitted to the General Assembly

Dec 9, 1948 - Dec 10, 1948

Following the Third Committee's work, the document was subsequently submitted to the wider General Assembly for its consideration on 9 and 10 December 1948.

General Assembly adopts the UDHR as Resolution 217

Dec 10, 1948

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly as UN Resolution A/RES/217(III) on 10 December 1948 at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, France. Drafted by a UN committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, it marked a landmark moment in international human rights history.

Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah shapes women's rights provisions

1951

Pakistani diplomat Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah influenced the drafting of the Declaration, especially with respect to women's rights, and also played a role in the preparation of the 1951 Genocide Convention.

Image source: Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah

Legal Legacy

British delegation voices frustration over lack of legal force

Dec 10, 1948

While voting in favour of the Declaration, the British delegation expressed frustration that the proposed document had moral obligations but lacked legal force; it would not be until 1976 that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights came into force, giving legal status to most of the Declaration.

International Bill of Human Rights completed

1966

The UDHR directly inspired the development of international human rights law and was the first step in the formulation of the International Bill of Human Rights, which was completed in 1966 with the adoption of the human rights covenants.

International Bill of Human Rights comes into force

1976

In 1976, the International Bill of Human Rights came into force, giving binding legal effect to much of what the Universal Declaration had articulated, including through the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Study finds UDHR accelerated constitutional rights adoption

2022

According to a 2022 study, the UDHR 'significantly accelerated the adoption of a particular set of [national] constitutional rights'. One scholar estimates that at least 90 national constitutions drafted since 1948 contain statements of fundamental rights inspired by or reproducing the Universal Declaration.

Reception in the Muslim World

Iranian diplomat calls UDHR incompatible with shari'a law

1982

In 1982, the Iranian diplomat to the United Nations, representing the country's newly installed Islamic republic, stated that the Declaration was 'a secular understanding of the Judeo-Christian tradition' that could not be implemented by Muslims without conflict with shari'a law.

OIC resolves to support Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam

Jun 30, 2000

On 30 June 2000, member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation officially resolved to support the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, an alternative document that says people have 'freedom and right to a dignified life in accordance with the Islamic Shari'ah'.

Image source: Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam

Arab Human Development Report notes resistance to standards

2009

According to the 2009 Arab Human Development Report, written by Arab experts for the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States, 'Arab states seem content to ratify certain international human rights treaties, but do not go so far as to recognize the role of international mechanisms in making human rights effective.' The resistance to implementation is perhaps most salient with rights related to religion.

Image source: Human Development Report

Global Recognition

Asian states adopt the Bangkok Declaration

Apr 1993

During the lead-up to the World Conference on Human Rights held in 1993, ministers from several Asian states adopted the Bangkok Declaration, which reaffirms their governments' commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

World Conference reaffirms commitment to the UDHR

Jun 1993

At the 1993 United Nations World Conference on Human Rights, one of the largest international gatherings on human rights, diplomats and officials representing 100 nations reaffirmed their governments' commitment to the purposes and principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasizing that the Declaration has been the source of inspiration for advances in international human rights standard setting.

Pope John Paul II praises the Declaration

Oct 5, 1995

In a speech on 5 October 1995, Pope John Paul II called the Declaration 'one of the highest expressions of the human conscience of our time', despite the Vatican never adopting it.

American Library Association endorses Articles 18–20

1997

In 1997, the council of the American Library Association endorsed Articles 18 through 20 of the UDHR concerning freedoms of thought, opinion, and expression, which were codified in the ALA Universal Right to Free Expression and the Library Bill of Rights.

Image source: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Guinness certifies UDHR as most translated document

1999

In 1999, the Guinness Book of Records described the Declaration as the world's 'Most Translated Document', with 298 translations; the record was certified again a decade later when the text reached 370 different languages and dialects.

EU's Spatafora affirms UDHR's central role

Dec 10, 2003

In a statement on 10 December 2003 on behalf of the European Union, Marcello Spatafora said that the Declaration 'placed human rights at the centre of the framework of principles and obligations shaping relations within the international community'.

60th anniversary celebrated worldwide

Jan 1, 2008 - Dec 31, 2008

2008 marked the 60th anniversary of the Declaration, and was accompanied by year-long activities around the theme 'Dignity and justice for all of us'.

UDHR surpasses 500 translations

2016

The UDHR achieved a milestone of more than 500 translations in 2016, extending its record as the most translated document in the world.

70th anniversary marked by #StandUpForHumanRights campaign

Jan 1, 2018 - Dec 31, 2018

Likewise, the 70th anniversary in 2018 was marked by the global #StandUpForHumanRights campaign, which targeted youth around the world.

UDHR reaches 562 translations

2024

As of 2024, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights had been translated into 562 languages, remaining the most translated document in the world.

Key Facts

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948, in Paris — a date now celebrated annually as Human Rights Day.
The UDHR was drafted by a committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, with key contributions from René Cassin (France), Charles Malik (Lebanon), Peng Chun Chang (China), and others representing diverse legal and cultural traditions.
It consists of a preamble and 30 articles outlining civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights that belong to every person universally.
Although not legally binding at its adoption, the UDHR has inspired binding human rights treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (both adopted in 1966).
The Guinness World Records recognizes the UDHR as the most translated document in the world, available in over 500 languages.

Source

This Universal Declaration of Human Rights timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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