The UN General Assembly proclaimed 10 December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to draw attention to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. Protecting the human rights – including reproductive rights – of all people is a precondition for individual well-being and collective sustainable growth.
"The ability of women, adolescents, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities or persons of diverse sexual expressions to speak up and to be free from fear and from want is often curtailed by discriminatory cultural or social norms," said UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, in his statement observing Human Rights Day.
UNFPA works to empower individuals and communities to claim their rights through various strategies, including awareness-raising, trainings and life-skills projects. UNFPA also works with governments to support human rights standards that have been affirmed in national laws and international agreements, and assists them in fulfilling their duty to protect human rights in practice.
