Human Rights Day is observed each year on 10 December, marking the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). In 2025, the theme ‘Our Everyday Essentials’ invites us to return to the foundations of human rights and recognise how deeply they shape everyday life.

In this blog, we explore the history of Human Rights Day, this year’s theme and its relevance in a world marked by uncertainty, and consider how shared action can strengthen human rights for all.

The history and purpose of Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day commemorates the adoption of the UDHR in 1948. The Declaration set out, for the first time, universal rights belonging to every person, everywhere. These include the right to an adequate standard of living (Article 25), freedom of opinion and expression (Article 19), education (Article 26), and rest and leisure (Article 24). While these principles are widely known, their meaning is often clearest in the everyday moments they enable: a safe home, access to information, time with loved ones, clean water, and opportunities to learn and participate.

As the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, reminds us:

“Human rights are our compass in turbulent times – guiding and steadying us through uncertainty.”

A call for solidarity

The 2025 campaign reflects a time when human rights are being severely tested. Rising inequalities, armed conflicts, mass displacement, and the escalating climate emergency have created a sense of instability felt across the world. Some actors continue to deepen social and political divisions, placing further pressure on institutions and communities already stretched by global crises.

“The world is facing wars, mass displacement, escalating hatred, and growing inequalities,” says Türk. “Yet compassion – expressed through inclusive policies and acts of solidarity – can transform lives and bridge divisions. Human rights are a shared project. Our strength lies in standing together.”

Human rights depend on policies, laws, and institutions, but also on how communities choose to respond to each other. Compassion, expressed through inclusive practices and sustained engagement, can, says Türk, “transform lives and bridge divisions” reinforcing the shared responsibility at the centre of the human rights project.

Our Everyday Essentials

The Our Everyday Essentials campaign highlights two closely linked ideas: the extraordinary nature of the UDHR as a foundational global pledge, and the everyday presence of human rights in people’s lives.

“The abstract becomes real when we realise that everyday actions – spending time with family, reading the news, walking freely, drinking clean water, or enjoying a meal – are made possible by human rights in practice.” – UN

These rights are not guaranteed everywhere, and this gap between principle and reality is central to the UN’s message in 2025. By foregrounding the everyday, the campaign encourages people to see human rights as both essential and incomplete: essential because they help shape the conditions for dignity, and incomplete because many still lack consistent access to them.

As Türk explains, “We must reconnect with human rights, remembering that they are about people – about their needs, wants and fears, as well as their hopes and aspirations.” This grounding in lived experience is a deliberate shift towards relevance, accessibility, and practical meaning.

Bridging principles and daily experience

A central aim of the campaign is to close the gap between human rights principles and how people encounter them day to day. By linking high-level commitments to familiar experiences, the campaign seeks to “spark awareness, inspire confidence and encourage collective action.” This approach recognises that human rights begin in the  everyday: respecting others, challenging unfairness, and listening to voices that are too often ignored. These small acts help shape cultures that value fairness and dignity.

The campaign also highlights participation. Through an online platform and social media hashtag #OurEverydayRights, individuals can share what they consider essential in their daily lives. These contributions form a “rich mosaic of voices and perspectives” showing how rights are experienced differently across communities while still reflecting a shared foundation of human dignity.

Human rights, the campaign notes, are positive – they do not only protect against harm, but also contribute to joy, safety, and opportunity. They are essential – forming the common ground that connects people across differences. And they are attainable – built through everyday choices and strengthened when communities, movements, and governments work together.

Collective action: strengthening human rights for all

Human rights are upheld by institutions, but they are sustained by people. The 2025 campaign reinforces this dual responsibility. While laws and policies remain vital, individual and collective action is equally important. Whether advocating for fair treatment, supporting inclusive decision-making, or choosing to act with respect and understanding, people contribute to the wider culture of human rights every day.

This collective endeavour, as Türk notes, is where shared strength lies: “Together, we can build a future where every person, everywhere, can live in dignity and freedom.” His words reflect both hope and realism – human rights face profound challenges, but they remain one of the most important tools we have for shaping a fairer, safer, and more equitable world.

Conclusion

Human Rights Day 2025 invites us to recognise that human rights are not distant principles but the essentials that help shape everyday life. Anchored in the UDHR and renewed through global solidarity, these rights remain a vital foundation in a time of uncertainty. By understanding their relevance, sharing experiences, and acting together, we strengthen the conditions for dignity and freedom for all. The world of human rights continues in our policies, our communities, and our daily choices – a shared project with the power to transform the world.

Resources

• Human Rights Day 2025 (UN)
• Human Rights Day 2025: Our Everyday Essentials (UN Human Rights)
• Human Rights in a Victorian public sector context (CourtHeath blog HRD 2024)
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UN)

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CourtHeath acknowledges the Traditional Aboriginal Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pays respect to Elders past and  present, and to the ongoing living culture of Aboriginal people.

A participant in the UN Global Compact, CourtHeath seeks to raise awareness about the sustainable development goals and the principles of the Global Compact with business and government organisations in Victoria.

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