Universal Declaration of Human Rights
P r e a m b l e
Whereas recognltion of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inallenable
rights of all members of the human family is the foundatlon of freedom, justlce
and peace ln the worid,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous
acts which have outraged the conscience of manklnd, and the advent of aworid
In which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom
from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiratlon of the common
people,
Whereas It Is essential, if man is not to be com^^lied to have recourse, as alast
resort, to rebelllon agalnst tyranny and oppresslon, that human rights should be
protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it Is essential to promote the development of frlendiy relatlons between
nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reafﬁrmed thelr
falth In fundamental human rights, In the dignity and worlh of the human person
and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote
social progress and better Standards of life In langer freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperatlon
with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of
human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas acommon understanding of these rights and freedoms Is of the
greatest Importance for the full reallzatlon of this pledge,
Now, therefore,
The General Assembly,
Proclaims thIs Universal Declaration of Human Rights as acommon Standard of
achlevement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every Individual and
every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly ln mind, shall strive by
teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by
progressive measures, national and international, to secure thelr universal and
effective recognitlon and observance, both among the peoples of Member States
themselves and among the peoples of territories under thelr Jurisdiction.
A r t i c l e l
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are
endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another In a
spIrit of brotherhood.
Article 2
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration,
without distlnction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, reiigion,
polltical or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other Status.
Furthermore, no dlstinction shaii be made on the basls of the polltical,
jurisdictlonal or international Status of the country or territory to which aperson
belongs, whether It be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other
limitatlon of sovereignty.
Article 3
Everyone has the right to llfe, llberty and the security of person.
Article 4
No one shall be held ln slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shaii be
prohlblted in all thelr forms.
Article 5
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, Inhuman or degrading treatment
or punishment.
Article 6
Everyone has the right to recognitlon everywhere as aperson before the law.
A r t i c l e ?
All are equal before the law and are entitied without any discrimination to equal
protection of the law. All are entitied to equal protection agalnst any
discrimination in vlolatlon of this Declaration and agalnst any Incitement to such
discrimination.
Article 8
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent natlonai tribunals
fbr acts vloiating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitutlon or by law.
Article 9
No one shall be subjected to arbltrary arrest, detention or exile.
Article 10
Everyone is entitied in full equallty to afair and public hearing by an Independent
and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obllgatlons and of any
criminal Charge agalnst him.
Article 11
1. Everyone charged with apenai offence has the right to be presumed
innocent until proved gullty according to law in apublic trial at which he
has had all the guarantees necessary for hIs defence.
2. No one shall be held gullty of any penai offence on account of any act or
omisslon which did not constitute apenai offence, under national or
international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall aheavler
penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal
offence was committed.
Article 12
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, famlly, home
or correspondence, nor to attacks upon hIs honour and reputation. Everyone has
the right to the protection of the law agalnst such Interference or attacks.
Article 13
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the
borders of each State.
2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to
retum to his country.
Article 14
1. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from
persecution.
2. This right may not be invoked In the case of prosecutions genulnely
arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and
principles of the United Natlons.
Article 15
1. Everyone has the right to anationality.
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to
Change his nationality.
Article 16
1. Men and women of full age, without any limitatlon due to race, nationallly
or religlon, have the right to mariy and to found afamlly. They are entitied
to equal rights as to marrlage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
2. Marriage shall be entered into only wlth the free and full consent of the
intending spouses.
3. The famlly is the natural and fundamental group unIt of society and is
entitied to protection by society and the State.
Article 17
1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association wlth
o t h e r s .
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
Article 18
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right
includes freedom to change hls religlon or belief, and freedom, elther alone or In
Community wlth others and In public or private, to manifest hls religion or belief In
teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of oplnion and expresslon; this right includes
freedom to hold oplnions without interference and to seek, receive and impart
Information and ideas through any medla and regardiess of frontlers.
Article 20
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peacefui assembiy and association.
2. No one may be compeiied to belong to an association.
Article 21
1. Everyone has the right to take part in the govemment of hls country,
directly or through freely chosen representatives.
2. Everyone has the right to equal access to public Service in hls country.
3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of govemment;
this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shali
be by universal and equal suffrage and shali be held by secret vote or by
equivalent free voting procedures.
Article 22
Everyone, as amember of society, has the right to social security and is entitied
to realizatlon, through national effort and International co-operation and in
accordance with the organizatlon and resources of each State, of the economic,
social and cultural rights indispensable for hls dignity and the free development
of hls Personality.
Article 23
Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and
favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
Everyone, without any discriminatlon, has the right to equal pay for equal
w o r k .
Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration
ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity,
and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of
his Interests.
1.
2 .
3 .
4 .
Article 24
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, Including reasonable limitation of
working hours and periodic holldays with pay.
Article 25
Everyone has the right to aStandard of living adequate for the health and
well-being of himself and of his famlly, Including food, clothing, housing
and medical care and necessary social Services, and the right to security
in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or
other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
Motherhood and childhood are entitied to special care and assistance. All
children, whether born In or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social
protection.
1.
2 .
Article 26
Everyone has the right to educatlon. Education shall be free, at least In the
elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be
compulsory. Technical and Professional education shall be made
generally avallable and higher education shall be equally accessibie to all
on the basls of merit.
Education shall be directed to the full development of the human
Personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understandlng, tolerance and
friendship among all nallons, raclal or religlous groups, and shall further
the activities of the United Nations for the malntenance of peace.
Parents have aprior right to choose the kind of education that shall be
given to thelr children.
1.
2 .
3 .
Article 27
1. Everyone has the right freely to parllcipate in the cultural llfe of the
Community, to enjoy the arts and to share In scientiﬁc advancement and
its beneﬁts.
2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests
resulting from any scientiﬁc, literary or artistic production of which he is the
a u t h o r.
Article 28
Everyone is entitied to asocial and international Order in which the rights and
freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
Article 29
Everyone has duties to the community in which aione the free and füll
development of his Personality Is possibte.
in the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shali be subject only
to such ilmitations as are determined by law soiely for the purpose of
securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others
and of meeting the just requirements of moraiity, public order and the
general welfare in ademocratic society.
These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the
purposes and principies of the United Nations.
1.
2 .
3 .
Article 30
Nothing in thIs Declaration may be Interpreted as implying for any State, group or
person any right to engage In any activity or to perform any act aimed at the
destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
