The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A Commentary

In The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A Commentary, scholars and practitioners offer an analysis of each one of the thirty articles included in this international instrument, as well as of their evolution under international human rights law. The adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on 10 December 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly marked a groundbreaking moment in the field of international law. Not only would it start to move away from its original conception as an exclusively State-centered domain: it would also mark the progressive transformation of international law into a law for humankind. This instrument started a codification and institution-building process that would slowly evolve into a complex framework of treaties, bodies and procedures revolving around the protection of the human being against the actions – or omissions – of the State. This commentary provides a specific article-by-article analysis and reflection of the negotiation history and evolution over time of each one of the rights enshrined therein.