United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Origin.   The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948.

Purpose.   The Declaration is intended to provide a foundation for the recognition, respect, and realization of human rights by promoting a common understanding of these universal rights and freedoms.

Content.   The rights enumerated within the Declaration are relevant to all spheres of human activity.   Like the Caux Round Table Principles for Business , the Declaration recognizes the dignity of the human person and the fundamental equality of all (Article 1).   Articles 23, 24, and 25 (1) are of particular interest to business organizations. They identify a series of rights intimately linked to the employment relationship.  

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 remuneration 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.

Implementation.   The Declaration calls upon “every individual and every organ of society” to promote respect for the enumerated human rights through education, and to support “their universal and effective recognition and observance” through progressive national and international measures.

To visit this code in its entirety please visit:  http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

08. May 2002