The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 consists of 30 articles, covering civil, social and political rights. According to Article 2, the Declaration applies to all people regardless of race, sex, or nationality because – so Article 1 states – all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Everyone is therefore entitled to a social order in which these rights can be fully realised.
The Declaration guarantees protection of the human person through the right to life, liberty and security of person and the outlawing of slavery and torture.
It also covers procedural rights, such as equality before the law, protection against arbitrary arrest and the entitlement to a fair and public hearing by an independent tribunal. It describes civil liberties, such as the right to freedom of movement, the right to freely enter marriage, the right to property, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of assembly and association. The Declaration also includes political rights, such as the right to seek asylum, the right to a nationality and to participate in the democratic process.
Economic, social and cultural rights are also covered by the Declaration, such as the right to social security, to work and free choice of employment, to protection of the family, the right to health, food, housing, the right to rest and leisure, to education and participation in cultural life.
Whilst the Declaration does not have the binding legal power of a treaty, it nevertheless carries great political and moral weight. A large number of countries have incorporated its provisions into their constitutions. Many of the Conventions and Treaties adopted since 1948 are based on the definitions contained in the Declaration. A number of regional agreements, such as the European Convention on Human Rights of 1950 and the European Social Charter of 1961, are also based on the Declaration of Human Rights.