The Universal Declaration, for the first time in history, creates a standard of human rights respect that all the world's nations must uphold.

Even the drafters of the Universal Declaration were quite uncertain of what, if anything, would result from the proclamation they had worked so hard to create. The Declaration broadly defines basic human rights, prohibiting governments from resorting to certain actions in their efforts to coerce or control people. It also presents positive steps that governments should take to advance people's well-being and to ensure that all people are able to exercise their rights.

While the moral imperative is clear, the Declaration was not intended to be legally binding on governments. Today, however, provisions of the Declaration are considered a cornerstone of international customary law--that is, a set of rules or norms legally binding on all the world's governments.

The Declaration prepared the way for two legally binding treaties, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Together, the Declaration and the Covenants based on it constitute the "International Bill of Rights."

Other treaties also have emerged on the pathway created by the Universal Declaration: conventions against torture and racial discrimination; agreements protecting the rights of children and other groups. Scores of international commitments to promote human rights today contain direct references to the Declaration. The number of individual people worldwide who have received protection because of these agreements is inestimable.

The Universal Declaration continues to serve as a model for national constitutions, laws, and policies. Provisions of some 90 national constitutions drafted since 1948 can be traced to the Declaration. National court decisions of at least 28 countries, including over 85 U.S. decisions, refer to the Declaration. In addition, the principles of the Declaration are increasingly evident in governments' foreign policy decisions, including decisions on aid packages directed abroad. Violating human rights can prove costly to governments.

Today, 50 years after it was proclaimed, the Universal Declaration has more political and moral importance than ever before. Every year, the principles presented in the Declaration lead to additional international agreements on ways to protect human rights. As more people throughout the world learn about the Declaration and demand their basic human rights, international mechanisms for monitoring and halting rights violations grow.