This document discusses Human Rights Day, celebrated each year on December 10th, and highlights some notable human rights defenders who have received the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights over the years. It provides brief biographies of award recipients from 1968, 1973, 1978, 1988, 1993, 2003, and 2008, recognizing individuals and organizations from around the world who have worked to promote and protect human rights.
2. Human rights are interlinked and
interdependent rights inherent to all human
beings without any discrimination of any
nationality, ethnic origin, sex, religion,
language, or cast and creed or any other status,
as stated by the UN.
• Civic and Political
• Economic
• Social and Cultural
3. The UDHR was adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly on December 10th 1948 at Palais de Chaillot,
Paris.
The UDHR consists of 30 articles which have been
elaborated in subsequent international treaties,
regional human rights instruments, national
constitutions and laws.
• The International Bill of Human Rights
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
5. On December 4th 1950 All states and interested
organizations were invited to mark December 10th
as Human Rights.
As such December 10th of each following year
was marked as Human Rights Day.
Each year a new theme is observed, which is
celebrated worldwide in a variety of ways.
Main focus to educate persons about their rights
as humans.
6. “Celebrate Human Rights”
• Celebrating Human Rights Defenders.
The United Nations Prizes in the Field of Human
Rights were instituted by United Nations General
Assembly resolution 2217 in 1966.
• They are intended to honour and commend people and
organizations which have made an outstanding
contribution to the promotion and protection of the human
rights.
7. 1968 Awardees
• Manuel Bianchi, chairman of the Inter-American Commission
on Human Rights (Chile)
• René Cassin, member of the Commission on Human
Rights (France)
• Albert Luthuli, President of the ANC (posthumous award)
(South Africa)
• Mehranguiz Manoutchehrian, attorney and senator (Iran)
• Petr Emelyanovich Nedbailo, member of the Commission on
Human Rights (Ukraine)
• Eleanor Roosevelt, president of the Commission on Human
Rights (posthumous award) (USA)
8. 1973 Awardees
• Taha Hussein, professor of literature (Egypt)
• C. Wilfred Jenks, director-general of the International
Labour Office (posthumous award) (UK)
• María Lavalle Urbina, lawyer and lecturer (Mexico)
• Abel Muzorewa, president of the ANC (Namibia)
• Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, prime minister of
Mauritius (Mauritius)
• U Thant, UN secretary-general (Myanmar)
9. 1978 Awardees
• Begum Ra'Ana Liaquat Ali Khan (Pakistan)
• Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan (Iran)
• Martin Luther King (posthumous award) (USA)
• Helen Suzman (South Africa)
• International Committee of the Red Cross
• Amnesty International
• Vicaría de la Solidaridad (Chile)
• Union nationale des femmes de Tunisie (Tunisia)
10. 1988 Awardees
• Baba Amte, human rights lawyer (India)
• John Peters Humphrey, director of the United
Nations Division of Human Rights (Canada)
• Adam Lopatka, president of the Supreme Court
(Poland)
• Leonidas Proaño, bishop (Ecuador)
• Nelson Mandela, lawyer and statesman (South
Africa)
• Winnie Mandela, medical social worker (South
Africa)
11. 1993 Awardees
• Hassib Ben Ammar, president of the Arab Institute for Human
Rights (Tunisia)
• Erica-Irene Daes, chair of the Working Group on Indigenous
Populations (Greece)
• James P. Grant, executive director of UNICEF (USA)
• International Commission of Jurists (based in Geneva)
• Medical personnel of the Central Hospital of Sarajevo
• Sonia Picado Sotela, vice-president of the Inter-American Court of
Human Rights (Costa Rica)
• Ganesh Man Singh, supreme leader of the Nepal and commander of
1990 Democracy Movement (Nepal)
• Sudanese Women's Union (Sudan)
• Julio Tumiri Javier, founder of the Permanent Assembly of Human
Rights(Bolivia)
12. 2003 Awardees
• Enriqueta Estela Barnes de Carlotto, president of
the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo (Argentina)
• Mano River Women's Peace Network (Sierra
Leone, Liberia, and Guinea)
• Family Protection Project Management Team (Jordan)
• Deng Pufang, chairman of the China Disabled
Persons' Federation (PRC)
• Shulamith Koenig, executive director of the People's
Movement for Human Rights Education (USA)
• Sérgio Vieira de Mello, UN Special Representative
murdered in Iraq (posthumous award) (Brazil)
13. 2008 Awardees
• Louise Arbour, former UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights (Canada)
• Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister and Leader of
the Opposition who was assasinated. (Pakistan,
posthumous)
• Ramsey Clark, former Attorney General (United
States)
• Dr. Carolyn Gomes of Jamaicans for Justice
• Dr. Denis Mukwege, co-founder of the General
Referral Hospital of Panzi (Democratic Republic of
the Congo)
• Sr. Dorothy Stang, murdered nun (Brazil,
15. Liu Xiaobo
Nelson Mandela
Mother Teresa
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi