The Still Unmet Promise of Universal Basic Human Rights
Jeff Foreman, Director of Policy Tomorrow, December 10 th , is Human Rights Day . It marks the 66th anniversary of the adoption of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Care for the Homeless joins in recognizing the fundamental human rights proclaimed in that document in 1948 including the right to housing. When the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights it was a vow by the community of nations still standing in the shadow of the horrors of World War II. It was drafted initially by an 18 member international “Drafting” Committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, and eventually by a committee composed of delegations from 50 nations. When it was overwhelmingly adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948, eight nations abstained but not a single country voted in opposition. The Declaration is based on the inherent dignity and equality of all people and the “inalienable rights of all members of the human family”. Among those fundame...