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UDHR

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Dictionary of Global Bioethics

Abstract

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted in December 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly. At that time the United Nations had 58 member states of which 48 members voted in favor of the declaration, 8 abstained, and 2 did not vote. The declaration is regarded as a milestone in the history of human rights. Although the Charter of the United Nations mentions respect for and observance of human rights, this was the first time since its establishment in 1945 that the international community specified which human rights were at stake. The atrocities committed in the Second World War reinforced the need to define human rights. A drafting committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt submitted its work in May 1948. In its preamble the declaration recognizes the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.

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Correspondence to Henk ten Have .

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ten Have, H., Patrão Neves, M. (2021). UDHR. In: Dictionary of Global Bioethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54161-3_28

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