Human Rights Day is the anniversary of one of the most translated documents in history.
The date is 10 December every year.
How to use the Human Rights Day Countdown#
- Check the date. Human Rights Day is on 10 December every year.
- Choose what to count to. Stay on the next Human Rights Day, or look a year further ahead.
- Plan around it. The weekday and the weeks left are listed, so you can see at once how it fits your week.
The Universal Declaration#
On 10 December 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris. It set out, for the first time, rights that every person is entitled to. Human Rights Day has been observed since 1950, and the declaration has been translated into more than 500 languages.
Each year the UN picks a theme. The date also marks the end of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, which starts on 25 November.
Ways to take part#
Schools can read and discuss the declaration. Organisations run talks, legal aid clinics or campaigns on a current issue. Individuals can volunteer, donate, or read the text itself, which is short and clear. If you organise something, a month’s notice is enough for a talk and more for a larger event.
When is Human Rights Day in the next few years?#
Human Rights Day is on 10 December every year.
| Year | Date | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 December | Thursday |
| 2027 | 10 December | Friday |
| 2028 | 10 December | Sunday |
| 2029 | 10 December | Monday |
| 2030 | 10 December | Tuesday |
What is actually in the Declaration#
The Declaration has a preamble and 30 articles. They cover the right to life, liberty and security, freedom from slavery and torture, equality before the law, freedom of thought and religion, the right to work, to education and to take part in public life. It is not a treaty, so it does not bind states by itself, but it has shaped later treaties and many national constitutions, including Nigeria’s chapter on fundamental rights.
It is short enough to read in about ten minutes, which makes it a good text to read aloud in a class or a meeting.
A classroom or community session#
Pick five articles and ask people to rank them, then talk about where they disagree. Ask where the rights listed are protected in your community, and where they are not. For younger pupils, a poster showing one right per child makes a good display. For adults, a local legal aid clinic or a human rights lawyer can answer questions.
Working back from 10 December#
The date is a Friday in 2027, and it falls in a busy season for schools and offices, so aim to settle your plan early.
| When | What to do | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 6 weeks out | Pick the format and confirm any speaker | Fri 29 October 2027 |
| 3 weeks out | Publicise the event | Fri 19 November 2027 |
| 1 week out | Print copies of the Declaration | Fri 3 December 2027 |
The day also ends the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, which starts on 25 November, so some groups run both programmes together.
Facts and background#
- The Declaration was drafted by a committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, with members from many regions and legal traditions, and adopted by 48 votes in favour with 8 abstentions and none against.
- It is the most translated document in the world, according to Guinness World Records, and appears in more than 500 languages.
- The two treaties that followed it, on civil and political rights and on economic, social and cultural rights, entered into force in 1976.
- The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, adopted in 1981, applies the same ideas on the continent and includes rights for peoples as well as individuals.
The day falls in the last month of the year, and it comes only days after the start of the Christmas run-up. If you plan an event, avoid the last week before school holidays, when attendance tends to drop.
Frequently asked questions#
10 December.
The UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
It has 30 articles and can be read in a few minutes.
It sets out 30 articles that apply to everyone, including the right to life and liberty, equality before the law, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of thought and expression, the right to work and the right to education. It begins by saying that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. The text is short enough to read in about ten minutes.
Not by itself, because it is a declaration, not a treaty. But it has shaped later binding treaties, regional charters and the constitutions of many countries, and some of its principles are now regarded as part of customary international law. In Nigeria, the constitution’s chapter on fundamental rights draws on the same ideas.