The Conquering Lion Shall Break Every Chain
Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
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On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly
of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the full text of
which appears in the following pages. Following this historic
act the Assembly called upon all Member countries
to publicize the text of the Declaration and “to cause
it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally
in schools and other educational institutions, without
distinction based on political status of countries or
territories.”
PREAMBLE
Wherever
recognition of the inherent dignity and of the full and
unalienable rights of all members of the human family is the
foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. Whereas
disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in
barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind,
and the advent of the world in which human beings shall enjoy
freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has
been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have
recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and
oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of
law, whereas it is essential to promote the development of
friendly relations between nations, whereas the people of the
United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their
faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of
the human person and in the equal rights of man and woman and
have determined to promote social progress and better standards
of life in larger freedom. Whereas Member State have
pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the
United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and
observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Whereas a
common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the
greatest importance for full realization of this pledge.
Now therefore, The General Assembly
Proclaims
THIS
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of
achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that
every individual and every organ of society, keeping this
Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and
education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and
by progressive measures, national and international, to secure
their universal and effective recognition and observance, both
among the peoples of Member States themselves and among
the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
ARTICLE
1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are
endowed with reason and conscience and should act toward one
another in a spirit of brotherhood.
ARTICLE
2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this
Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race,
color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion,
national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political,
jurisdictional or international status of the country or
territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent,
trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of
sovereignty
ARTICLE
3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
ARTICLE
4.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude, slavery and the slave trade
shall be prohibited in all their 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 recognition everywhere as a person before the
law.
ARTICLE
7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination
to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal
protection against any discrimination in violation of this
Declaration and against any incitement to such
discrimination.
ARTICLE
8.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national
tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him
by the constitution or by law.
ARTICLE
9.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
ARTICLE
10.
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an
independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his
rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
ARTICLE
11.
(1) Everyone charged with a penal offense has the right to be presumed
innocent until proven guilty according to law in a public trial
at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his
defense.
(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offense on account of any act
or omission which did not constitute a penal offense, under
national or international law, at the time when it was
committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one
that was applicable at the time the penal offense was committed.
ARTICLE
12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy,
family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor
and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the
law against 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
return 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 genuinely
arising from non-political crimes of from acts contrary to the
purpose and principles of the United Nations.
ARTICLE
15.
(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the
right to change his nationality.
ARTICLE
16.
(1) Men and woman of full age, without any limitation due to race,
nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to find a
family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during
marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with free and full consent of the
intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is
entitled to protection by society and the State.
ARTICLE
17.
(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association
with others.
(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 his religion or belief,
and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in
public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in
teaching, practice, worship and observance.
ARTICLE
19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right
includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to
seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media
and regardless of frontiers.
ARTICLE
20.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and
association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
ARTICLE
21.
(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country,
directly or through freely chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his
country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of
government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine
elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and
shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting
procedures.
ARTICLE
22.
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is
entitled to realization, through national effort and
international co-operation and in accordance with the
organization and resources of each State, of the
economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his
dignity and the free development of his personality.
ARTICLE
23.
(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just
and favorable conditions of work and to protection against
unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for
equal work.
(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable reenumeration
ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human
dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of
social protection.
(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for
the protection of his interests.
ARTICLE
24.
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable
limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
ARTICLE
25.
(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health
and well-being of himself and of his family, 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.
(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance.
All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the
same social protection.
ARTICLE
26.
(1) Everyone has the right to education. 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 available and higher education shall be
equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human
personality and to the strengthening of respects for human
rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding,
tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious
groups, and shall further the activities of the United
Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have the prior rights to choose the kind of education that
shall be given to their children.
ARTICLE
27.
(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life 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 author.
ARTICLE
28.
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the
rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be
fully realized.
ARTICLE
29.
(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full
development of his personality is possible.
(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be
subjected only to such limitations as are determined by law
solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect
for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just
requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare
in a democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the
purpose and principles of the United Nations.
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.
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