Abstract (may include machine translation)
Adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) has underpinned the development of the modern human rights regime. This chapter examines the origins of the UDHR, the question of its status as customary international law, and its usage at the UN, including in the implementation and enforcement of human rights. It concludes that the UDHR, even if not a binding legal instrument, has played a major role in the evolution of the UN into a human rights–based organization and remains a source of moral authority and inspiration as a fundamental normative basis for the international human rights system.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Oxford Handbook of the UN Human Rights System |
| Editors | Jared Genser, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein |
| Place of Publication | New York |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Pages | 25-58 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780197599983 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780197599945 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 24 Apr 2026 |
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Keywords
- Customary international law
- General Assembly
- Universality
- International human rights
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