Human Rights Day 2025 77 th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials”

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

Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Every year on 10 December, the international community commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On this occasion, the Institute for the Rule of Law of the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA-IROL) reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, foundational values of any just, free, safe, peaceful and sustainable society.

The theme chosen by the United Nations for 2025 – “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials” – is a reminder that fundamental rights are not abstract notions confined to legal texts or institutional frameworks. They constitute the very conditions of a life of dignity: freedom, security, access to justice, equal treatment, economic and social rights, as well as the ability of every person to participate fully in society. Human rights are therefore positive: they do not only protect us, but also contribute to our well-being and security; they are essential as they represent a common ground and belong equally to all; and finally, they are attainable, as we can express them in the smallest everyday choices, as well as pursue them through collective action to demand justice and equality.

In a global context marked by instability, rising armed conflict, increasing restrictions on freedom of expression, growing threats to judicial independence, and mounting pressure on lawyers, it is all the more essential to recall that human rights must be upheld every day, without discrimination or fear of reprisals. Their effective realization depends on independent judicial systems, strong protection mechanisms, and the work of all those who ensure the application of the law.

Among these essential actors are lawyers. Their role goes far beyond the strictly professional: it is fundamental, as they often find themselves on the front line in defending vulnerable individuals, protecting civil liberties, and ensuring effective functioning of the rule of law. Where human rights are weakened, lawyers may often face consequences as well – intimidation, abusive prosecutions, obstacles to the exercise of their functions, violence, and even arbitrary detention. As underscored by the recent Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, safeguarding the legal profession is central to the protection of human rights as a whole.

This Day also offers an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of recognizing the universality, indivisibility, and interdependence of human rights, as well as of strengthening legal and civic education so that everyone understands that these rights form the very basis of social cohesion and justice. UIA-IROL supports the campaign led by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and encourages all to help disseminate and promote its key messages. To learn more and engage with “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials”, we invite you to share, insofar as possible, the campaign and the materials prepared for this purpose.

On this Human Rights Day 2025, UIA-IROL expresses its support for all those around the world who work to give life to human rights in their most concrete and tangible forms, and reiterates its determination to pursue its mission of protecting the legal profession and advancing the rule of law.

#OurEveryDayRights #HumanRightsDay