The Declaration represents the fundamental rights to which all people, children and workers are entitled, and the cornerstone in a series of international law mechanisms to promote and enforce these rights. It is as controversial today as it was 60 years ago when world leaders gathered in Paris to sign it.

Many who work in ethical trade think only of labour rights; those laid down and enforced by the International Labour Organisation. It is true that the ILO does pre-date the UDHR, and the United Nations even. However, the UDHR has become the base document for all human rights instruments, even of those ILO conventions that pre-date it.

Impactt would like to mark the occasion with a series of blogs on the work that we are doing, to uphold the articles in the UDHR that relate to labour rights. The key articles include:

Article 3 – The right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 4 – Prohibition of slavery or servitude in all its forms.
Article 5 – Prohibition of torture or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 7 – Right to equality before the law.
Article 22 – Right to social security from the state.
Article 23 – The right to work, free choice of employment, just and favourable conditions of work, equal pay for work of equal value, just and favourable remuneration which enables an existence worthy of human dignity for himself and his family, the right to form and join trade unions.
Article 24 – The right to rest and leisure time.
Article 25 – The right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family including food, clothing, housing, medical and social services.
Article 30 – Prohibition of activities or acts aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms of the UDHR by any state, group or person.

The enforcement of these, and the other articles in the Declaration is still sporadic and far more work is required. Impactt is confident in the growing popular and corporate interest in the enforcement of these rights and the potential improvements that these will bring.