Celebrate, Respect Human Rights

On Dec. 10, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — a far-reaching, "living" document that applies to all people of the world. Today, the U.N. and nations around the world are celebrating the declaration's 60th anniversary, while also acknowledging that a lot of work still needs to be done to protect and further human rights.

The 30-article declaration, among many other things, says:

The declaration's authors began their ambitious task shortly after World War II in 1946 and the declaration was ratified in 1948. It became the basis for much international law and has served as the backbone for pursuing the culprits and causes of human rights violations for the past half-century.

Fast-forward to today: There's obviously a lot of work left to be done. Here's hoping people of the world today take a look at the document and at least take a moment to understand its significance. From the U.N.:

More than ever, in a world threatened by racial, economic and religious divides, we must defend and proclaim the universal principles -— first enshrined in the UDHR — of justice, fairness and equality that people across all boundaries hold so deeply.

If it still hasn't sunk in, visit the BBC's website for an interesting Q&A, photo gallery and more about what the document means to us all.