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NASW Recognizes the 60th Anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
December 10, 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The National Association of Social Work commemorates this occasion with renewed commitment to support and advocate for human rights concerns. “When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was first ratified human rights concerns had been the bedrock of the social work profession in the United States for more than 50 years (NASW, 2006).”
The events of the 20th century … demonstrate that the struggle for human rights goes on. In response to World War II, under the leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt, representatives of the nations of the world came together to find a way to prevent such an even from ever happening again. The first step was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was presented in 1948 to the U.N. General Assembly and the world as a foundation document upon which an edifice of protections for human rights could be built. This document has become the standard reference for all subsequent United Nations human rights efforts (NASW, 2006).
Human rights have been defined to include the universal right to a standard of living that is adequate for the health and well-being of individuals and their families. The Declaration spells out the essential resources to meet such a standard - food, clothing, housing, and medical care. It calls for the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or other circumstances beyond one’s control. And it calls for “necessary social services” (United Nations, 1948, Article 25, 1). Some other fundamental human rights instruments of the UN include:
The Charter of the United Nations (1945)
The two Covenants on Human rights (1966)
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the right to life, liberty, and security; the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, or punishment; prohibition of slavery; and the right not to be detained arbitrarily) http://www.hrweb.org/legal/cpr.html
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the right to work, right to social security, rights to protection of the family, and the right to an adequate standard of living). http://www.hrweb.org/legal/escr.html
In addition in 2006 the United Nations formed the UN Human Rights Council to address human rights:
The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the UN system made up of 47 States responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe. The Council was created by the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2006 with the main purpose of addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. http://www2.ohchr.org./english/bodies/hrcouncil/
The struggle for human rights remains a vital priority for the social work profession in the 21st century.
REFERENCES
National Association of Social Workers. (2006). International Policy on Human rights. In Social Work Speaks 2006 – 2009 (7th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
United Nations. (1948). Universal declaration of human rights. New York: author.
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