Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)is the founding international text on the protection of human rights. The Declaration was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948 as part of its project to create an "International Bill of Rights" and entered into force in 1950. The International Bill of Rights comprises the UDHR, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), along with its two Optional Protocols. While the UDHR is not itself binding on States, it is almost universally recognized and may (at least in part) represent customary international law. WHRR Users may also be interested in viewing the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Fact Sheet No. 2 on the International Bill of Rights that is contained under the "Documents by United Nations Bodies & Agencies" heading of this section.