The United Nations’ 2022 Human Rights Day theme of “dignity, freedom and justice for all” couldn’t have come at a better time with the attacks we’ve seen on people’s basic rights in the last year.
Before it was recognized as a monthlong or even a yearlong celebration, Universal Human Rights Day was first established by the United Nations General Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948, when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted.
The UHDR is a document that proclaims the inherent rights everyone has as a human being, regardless of race, gender, religion, sex, color, language or political opinion, birth or other status, social origin or property. The UHDR is the most translated document in the world that is available in 500 languages.
Since 1948, Universal Human Rights Day has occurred annually on December 10, and in 2001, then-President George W. Bush declared the first Human Rights Week, which started on Dec. 9. That week in December then morphed into a monthlong, worldwide holiday.
The United Nations’ Yearlong Campaign
In 2022, the United Nations will celebrate universal human rights over the span of a year in recognition of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The celebration started on Dec. 10, 2022 and will go until Dec. 10, 2023, which marks the official day the UDHR was established in 1948.
While the UDHR has expanded the recognition of human rights around the world since it came to be all those years ago, there’s much work to be done as the inherent rights of groups of people are still under attack in the form of conflicts, racism and inequality.
Examples of Inequities That Exist Today
In our latest Meeting in a Box, we highlight some of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and human rights issues that have come under attack over the last year. In 2022, we’ve seen Roe v. Wade overturned, the LGBTQ+ community demonized and systems of discrimination held firmly in place and inequities for people of color highlighted even more because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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While more attention has been brought to the sport of soccer through people around the globe watching the World Cup, the competition has also brought attention to laws against homosexuality and the overall mistreatment of the LGBTQ+ community in Qatar as well as how women in Iran are fighting for basic rights in their country.
