Middle Secondary – Human Rights – Focus question 2: Where did human rights come from?
Introduction
In 1948 the United Nations passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The rights set out in that document have been added to in various other human rights declarations by the United Nations since, but that Declaration stands as the basic statement of what we expect as a minimum standard in human rights today.
The recognition of rights that are claimed as universal human rights today did not just happen. They were often fought for over a long period of time.
There are four milestones in the development of rights which are claimed as universal human rights today. These are:
the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In the following section you will look at the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
