75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Citation: Vol. 29 No. 4 Pg. 0026
• Publication year: 2024
• Pages: 0026

75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Vol. 29 No. 4 Pg. 26 Georgia Bar Journal February 2024

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948. 2023 marked its 75th anniversary.

BY LAVERNE LEWIS GASKINS

Historically, and traditionally, attorneys have served as catalysts for change and ushered in transformational reforms that have impacted the legal landscape for the benefit of many. This article is a general introduction to information that may cultivate opportunities for lawyers to continue functioning as agents of change in a space that allows for domestic and international positive consequences.

Following World War II, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, then-chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights, along with representatives from other nations, met to address human rights. On Dec. 10, 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris. The UDHR is a manifestation of an international goal reflecting legal and cultural diversity. It is viewed as a fundamental document for universal human rights, has been translated into more than 500 languages and has inspired the adoption of 70 human rights treaties.^[1]

The Preamble of the UDHR recognizes the "inherent dignity of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, and ... that human rights should be protected by the rule of law." The UDHR is consistent with one of the basic tenets of the legal profession: to uphold and protect the rule of law. Its 30 articles are summarized on page 27.

The UDHR is consistent with the essence of our profession as set forth in the American Bar Association's (ABA) Rules of Professional Conduct. That is, the rules provide that "[a] lawyer, as a member of the legal profession, is a representative of clients, an officer of the legal system and a public citizen having special responsibility for the quality of justice."^[2] The ABA Rules provide that as public citizens lawyers "should seek improvement of the law [and] access to the legal system."^[3] Lawyers should endeavor to uphold the rule of law as the ABA Rules remind us that "[l]awyers play a vital role in the preservation of society."^[4]

Inherent in this aspirational statement is a call to service for the benefit of the public good. The ABA Rules remind lawyers that...