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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (abbreviated '''UDHR''') is an advisory declaration adopted by the 1948 in Paris, France HISTORY Prior to the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, several countries had proclaimed comparable declarations. Examples include the '' Bill Of Rights '' in the United States , and the '' Declaration Of The Rights Of Man And Of The Citizen '' in France . CREATION When the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany became apparent after the Second World War, there was a general consensus within the world community that the United Nations Charter did not sufficiently define the rights it referenced. A universal declaration that specified the rights of individuals was necessary . Canadian John Peters Humphrey was called upon by the UN Secretary General to work on the project and became the Declaration's principal drafter. Humphrey was assisted by Eleanor Roosevelt of the United States , Jacques Maritain and René Cassin of France , Charles Malik of Lebanon , and P. C. Chang of the Republic Of China , among others. The proclamation was ratified during the General Assembly on 10 December, 1948 by a vote of 48 in favour, 0 against, with 8 abstentions (all Soviet Bloc states, South Africa and Saudi Arabia).See under "Who are the signatories of the Declaration?" Despite the central role played by Canadian John Humphrey, the Canadian Government at first abstained from voting on the Declaration's draft, but later voted in favor of the final draft in the General Assembly. (See [http://www.journal.law.mcgill.ca/abs/vol43/2schab.pdf ) STRUCTURE AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS The document is laid out in the Civil Law tradition, including a Preamble followed by thirty articles. It was conceived as a statement of objectives to be followed by governments. International lawyers believe that the Declaration forms part of Customary International Law and is a powerful tool in applying diplomatic and moral pressure to governments that violate any of its articles. The 1968 United Nations International Conference on Human Rights advised that it "constitutes an obligation for the members of the international community" to all persons. The declaration has served as the foundation for the original two legally non-binding UN human rights covenants, the International Covenant On Civil And Political Rights , and the International Covenant On Economic, Social And Cultural Rights . It continues to be widely cited by academics, advocates, and constitutional courts. PRAISE AND CRITICISM Praise
: Eleanor Roosevelt , 9 December 1948
: Ronald Reagan (March 1989, US Department of State Bulletin) Islamic criticism
:"Muslims nations are committed to different international human rights conventions that have been drafted and are implemented under the aegis of the United Nations. Unlike the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, these advisory conventions are only binding upon those who have ratified them, and there are minimal sanctions for violations. Nevertheless, these signatories show their commitment to (ICCPR); the 1979 Convention On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); the 1984 Convention Against Torture And Other Cruel, Inhuman And Degrading Treatment And Punishment (CAT); and the 1989 Convention On The Rights Of The Child (CDC)." Rudolph Peters , "Crime and Punishment in Islamic Law", Cambridge 2005, p174 :"The legitimacy of modern human rights discourse is often challenged by Muslims with the argument that human rights are a Western invention based on a Western discourse that does not take into account the cultural specificity of the Muslim world or non-Western cultures in general. Yet most Muslim states have by now become signatories to human rights conventions, showing their acceptance of international human rights discourse...", Rudolph Peters , "Crime and Punishment in Islamic Law", Cambridge 2005, p174 Other criticism
LANGUAGES The Guinness Book Of Records describes the UDHR as the "Most Translated Document""The United Nations Decade for Human Rights Eductation", 1995 - 2004", United Nations General Assembly, issued 7 Sept 2000, retrieved 7 May 2007. {Link without Title} in the world. REFERENCES IN ENTERTAINMENT The rock band U2 projected the UDHR onto an enormous screen after performing their song " Miss Sarajevo ", and " Running To Stand Still " during their Vertigo tour. Their presentation also included individuals from around the world speaking selected articles of the UDHR. The full UDHR was used during the European and South American legs whilst an edited version was used for audiences in the United States . The Australian Wave Aid concerts following the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami featured a large banner containing certain articles of the UDHR. SEE ALSO Non-binding agreements
National human rights law
International human rights law
Other
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