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Preamble
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of theequal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is thefoundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights haveresulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience ofmankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoyfreedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has beenproclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled tohave recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny andoppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in theCharter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in thedignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of menand women and have determined to promote social progress and betterstandards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve,in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universalrespect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,
Now, therefore,
The General Assembly,
Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a commonstandard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the endthat every individual and every organ of society, keeping thisDeclaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and educationto promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressivemeasures, national and international, to secure their universal andeffective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of MemberStates themselves and among the peoples of territories under theirjurisdiction.
Article 1
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Theyare endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards oneanother in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in thisDeclaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour,sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or socialorigin, property, birth or other status.
Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of thepolitical, jurisdictional or international status of the country orterritory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust,non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 4
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
Article 5
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
Article 7
All are equal before the law and are entitled without anydiscrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled toequal protection against any discrimination in violation of thisDeclaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
Article 8
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent nationaltribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by theconstitution or by law.
Article 9
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
Article 10
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing byan independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of hisrights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
Article 11
Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumedinnocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial atwhich he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of anyact or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, undernational or international law, at the time when it was committed. Norshall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable atthe time the penal offence was committed.
Article 12
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy,family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour andreputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law againstsuch interference or attacks.
Article 13
Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State.
Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
Article 14
Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinelyarising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposesand principles of the United Nations.
Article 15
Everyone has the right to a nationality.
No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
Article 16
Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race,nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family.They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage andat its dissolution.
Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
Article 17
Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
Article 18
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion;this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, andfreedom, either alone or in community with others and in public orprivate, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice,worship and observance.
Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this rightincludes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek,receive and impart information and ideas through any media andregardless of frontiers.
Article 20
Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
Article 21
Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country.
The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority ofgovernment; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuineelections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall beheld by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
Article 22
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security andis entitled to realization, through national effort and internationalco-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources ofeach State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensablefor his dignity and the free development of his personality.
Article 23
Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to justand favourable conditions of work and to protection againstunemployment.
Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remunerationensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of humandignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of socialprotection.
Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
Article 24
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
Article 25
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the healthand well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing,housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the rightto security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability,widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyondhis control.
Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance.All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the samesocial protection.
Article 26
Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at leastin the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall becompulsory. Technical and professional education shall be madegenerally available and higher education shall be equally accessible toall on the basis of merit.
Education shall be directed to the full development of the humanpersonality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights andfundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance andfriendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shallfurther the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance ofpeace.
Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
Article 27
Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life ofthe community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancementand its benefits.
Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and materialinterests resulting from any scientific, literary or artisticproduction of which he is the author.
Article 28
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which therights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fullyrealized.
Article 29
Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall besubject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely forthe purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights andfreedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality,public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 30
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for anyState, group or person any right to engage in any activity or toperform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights andfreedoms set forth herein.