THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATIONOFHumanRightsWHEREASrecognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal andinalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundationof freedom, justice and peace in the world,WHEREASdisregard and contempt for human rights have resulted inbarbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, andthe advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom ofspeech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimedas the highest aspiration of the common people,WHEREASit is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse,as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that humanrights should be protected by the rule of law,WHEREASit is essential to promote the development of friendly relationsamong nations,WHEREASthe peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmedtheir faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth ofthe human person and in the equal rights of men and woman and havedetermined to promote social progress and better standards of life inlarger freedom,WHEREASMember States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respectfor and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,WHEREASa common understanding of these rights and freedoms is ofthe greatest importance for the full realisation of this pledge,NOW THEREFORETHE GENERAL ASSEMBLYPROCLAIMSthis Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a commonstandard of achivement for all peoples and all nations, to the end thatevery individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declarationconstantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promoterespect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures,national and international, to secure their universal and effectiverecognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member Statesthemselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.ARTICLE 1All human beings are born free and equal in dignityand rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience andshould act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.ARTICLE 21. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedomsset forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such asrace, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion,national or social origin, property, birth or other status.2. 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 this territory be anindipendent, Trust or Non-Self-Governing territory, or under anyother limitation of sovereignty.ARTICLE 3Everyone has the right to life,liberty and the security of person.ARTICLE 4No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slaveryand the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.ARTICLE 5No one shall be subjected to tortureor to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.ARTICLE 6Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere asa person before the law.ARTICLE 7All are equal before the law and are entitled with-out any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are en-titled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation ofthis Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.ARTICLE 8Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by thecompetent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamentalrights granted him by the constitution or by law.ARTICLE 9No one shall be subjectedto arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.ARTICLE 10Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair andpublic hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in thedetermination of his rights and obligations and of any criminalcharge against him.ARTICLE 111. Everyone charged with a penal offence has theright to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to lawin a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessaryfor his defence.2. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account ofany act or omission which did not constitute a penal offenceunder national or international law, at the time when it was com-mitted. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one thatwas applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.ARTICLE 12No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interferencewith his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacksupon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the pro-tection of the law against such interference or attacks.ARTICLE 131. Everyone has the right to freedom of movementand residence within the borders of each state.2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own,and to return to his country.ARTICLE 141. Everyone has the right to seek and enjoy inother countries asylum from persecution.2. This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecution gen-uinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to thepurposes and principles of the United Nations.ARTICLE 151. Everyone has the right to a nationality.2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor deniedthe right to change his nationality.ARTICLE 161. Men and woman of full age, without any limita-tion due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry andto found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage,during marriage and its dissolution.2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consentof the intending spouses.3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of societyand is entitled to protection by society and the state.ARTICLE 171. Everyone has the right to own property aloneas well as in association with others.2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.ARTICLE 18Everyone has the right to freedom of thought,conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change hisreligion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community withothers and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief inteaching, practice, worship and observance.ARTICLE 19Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion andexpression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions withoutinterference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideasthrough any media and regardless of frontiers.ARTICLE 201. Everyone has the right to freedomof peacefull assembly and association.2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.ARTICLE 211. Everyone has the right to take part in thegovernment of his country, directly or through freely chosenrepresentatives.2. Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in hiscountry.3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of gov-ernment; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elec-tions which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall beheld by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.ARTICLE 22Everyone, as a member of society, has the right tosocial security and is entitled to realisation, through nationaleffort and international co-operation and in accordance with theorganisation and resources of each State, of the economic, social andcultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free develop-ment of his personality.ARTICLE 231. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice ofemployment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to pro-tection against unemployment.2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the rightto equal pay for equal work.3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuner-ation insuring for himself and his family an existence worthy ofhuman dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means ofsocial protection.4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unionsfor the protection of his interests.ARTICLE 24Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, includingreasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays withpay.ARTICLE 251. Everyone has the right to a standard of living ade-quate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family,including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessarysocial services, and the right to security in the event of unemploy-ment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack oflivelihood in circumstances beyond his control.2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assis-tance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoythe same social protection.ARTICLE 261. Everyone has the right to education. Educationshall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages.Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and profes-sianal education shall be made generally available and highereducation shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the humanpersonality and to the strengthening of respect for human rightsand fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, toler-ance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups,and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the main-tenance of peace.3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of educationthat shall be given to their children.ARTICLE 271. Everyone has the right freely to participate in thecultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share inscientific advancement and its benefits.2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and materialinterests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic productionof which he is the author.ARTICLE 28Everyone is entitled to a social and internationalorder in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declarationcan be fully realized.ARTICLE 291. Everyone has duties to the community in whichalone the free and full development of his personality is possible.2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be sub-ject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for thepurpose 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.3. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contraryto the purposes and principles of the United Nations.ARTICLE 30Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted asimplying for any State, group or person any right to engage inany activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of anyof the rights and freedoms set forth herein.UNITED NATIONSAdopted by the United Nations General Assembly of the 183rd meeting held in Paris on 10 December 1948Printed by U.N. Departement of Public Information