The UN General Assembly proclaimed 10 December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to draw attention to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.
Protecting the human rights – including reproductive rights – of all people is a precondition for individual well-being and collective sustainable growth. UNFPA works to empower individuals and communities to claim their rights through various strategies, including awareness-raising, trainings and life-skills projects.
"One of the rights we fight for every day is the right to have access to information and services that ensure or improve our sexual and reproductive health. This is a human right that is critical to saving lives," said Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, in a statement released on Human Rights Day.
UNFPA also works with governments to support human rights standards that have been affirmed in national laws and international agreements, and assists them in fulfilling their duty to protect human rights in practice.
