Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) declared that the recognition of the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. Pursuant to this, UDHR sets forth the fundamental human rights rooted in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women. These fundamental human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life, liberty and security of person; the right to be free from slavery or servitude; the right to be free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the right to equal protection of the law; and the right to be free from arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. It further defines economic, social and cultural rights, such as the right to social security; the right to work, to free choice of employment, and to just and favorable conditions of work; the right to health; and the right to education.

While the UDHR is not a treaty so as to be directly binding on the States, the rights defined therein have been incorporated in landmark human rights treaties such as the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.