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There are two different kinds of human rights. The first kind is things that people should be free to do, such as getting an education or taking part in politics. The second kind is things that people should be free from, such as discrimination or false imprisonment. Human rights belong to everyone, and cannot be taken away from any man, woman, or child. All human rights are equally important and are linked to each other. We cannot pick and choose between them. In 1948 the United Nations, an organization of countries

set up after the end of World War II to pro- mote international peace and coopera- tion, issued a document called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This was the first internationally agreed-upon statement related to human rights. It is still a very important document today. The Declaration sets out 30 rights that people everywhere should be able to enjoy. These include life, liberty, and security—the basis for all other rights—plus freedom from slavery. It bans torture, as well as cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishments for prison- ers. It states that everyone should have the

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed [born with] reason and conscience and should act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

—Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948

right to a fair trial by impartial judges, and that people should not be unfairly arrested, detained, or exiled. Criminals should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. It also outlaws dis- crimination “of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language,

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What Are Human Rights?