Human Rights Day in 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of a historic effort to set forth universally protected human rights. On this day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) at its third session in Paris. Representatives from all regions of the world and from different legal and cultural backgrounds helped to draft the Declaration’s 30 rights-affirming articles. The UDHR underpins the rich body of international human rights law that now exists, and it serves as a powerful tool in the struggle against oppression, impunity and injustice.

The UDHR has special relevance for scientists, engineers and health professionals, who rely on the rights that it contains– including the rights to freedom of expression, opinion and association – to freely conduct their professional work. The absence of such protections would greatly inhibit research and progress. Moreover, many members of the scientific, engineering and medical communities have turned to rights contained in the UDHR to successfully combat discriminatory practices in their professions that have too often resulted in the exclusion of bright minds – to the detriment of the individuals concerned and global society.

While the UDHR provides a crucial foundation for exploration and discovery, scientists, engineers and health professionals have also used their knowledge and expertise to promote and protect human rights and access to justice.  Over the course of the coming year, the CHR will share stories through our website, email alerts and other communication materials acknowledging and celebrating these efforts.

Health Professionals and Humanitarian Crises in Venezuela

The work of CHR Committee Member and Desmond M. Tutu Professor in Public Health and Human Rights at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Dr. Chris Beyrer serves as an example of how medical professionals can use their skills to shed light on a devastating health and human rights crisis. This year, he organized and supported a team of health professionals from Johns Hopkins University to join Human Rights Watch on a mission to Venezuela’s borders to assess the science and public health aspects of the country’s ongoing humanitarian emergency. The team found evidence of a failing health system, outbreaks of preventable diseases and widespread food shortages, providing critical information at a time when health professionals inside the country have been prohibited from reporting vital health and nutrition statistics.