Human Rights Day 2026: Thursday, Dec. 10, and the 30 Rights in the Universal Declaration

Human Rights Day is Thursday, Dec. 10, 2026, according to the United Nations (UN), which says the day “is observed annually around the world on 10 December.” The date marks the day the UN General Assembly proclaimed the Declaration in Paris, in 1948. Below are all 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with short labels, the date through 2031 and a free checklist. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) had not announced a 2026 theme as of Nov. 4.

Why is Human Rights Day on Dec. 10?

The UN says the Declaration “was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948.” The UN’s page on the Declaration refers to “the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” and says the text “has been translated into over 500 languages.”

An older count is lower: Guinness World Records lists it as the “Most translated document,” “translated into 370 languages and dialects … as of 2009.” The two figures measure different years, so they do not conflict.

The UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library says the drafting group began its work in February 1947 and lists Eleanor Roosevelt among its members.

What is the Human Rights Day 2026 theme?

OHCHR had not announced a 2026 theme as of Nov. 4, 2026. The 2025 UN campaign was “Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials.” We will not guess a 2026 title; check the UN’s Human Rights Day page for the announcement.

What are the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration?

The table gives our short labels, based on the OHCHR plain-language version in “ABC: Teaching Human Rights,” Annex 1. They are summaries, not the legal text. Read the full text at un.org.

Article	Short label
1	Born free and equal
2	No discrimination
3	Life, liberty and security
4	No slavery
5	No torture
6	Recognized before the law
7	Equal before the law
8	Right to a remedy
9	No arbitrary arrest
10	Fair public trial
11	Presumed innocent
12	Privacy
13	Freedom of movement
14	Asylum
15	Nationality
16	Marriage and family
17	Property
18	Thought, conscience and religion
19	Opinion and expression
20	Assembly and association
21	Take part in government
22	Social security
23	Work and fair pay
24	Rest and leisure
25	Standard of living
26	Education
27	Culture and science
28	Social and international order
29	Duties to community
30	No one may destroy these rights

Is there a Human Rights Week in the United States in 2026?

Not yet announced. In a proclamation dated Dec. 9, 2024, the White House said it would “do hereby proclaim December 10, 2024, as Human Rights Day and the week beginning December 10, 2024, as Human Rights Week.” In 2025 the White House issued a Bill of Rights Day proclamation (Proclamation 10997, Dec. 15, 2025), and we found no 2025 Human Rights Day proclamation in the Federal Register.

If the 2024 pattern were followed, Human Rights Week would run from Thursday, Dec. 10, to Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2026. That is the pattern of past proclamations, not a 2026 announcement. Bill of Rights Day, a separate observance, is Tuesday, Dec. 15; see Bill of Rights Day 2026.

What weekday is Human Rights Day through 2031?

The date is fixed at Dec. 10. The weekdays are our calculation.

Year	Date	Weekday
2026	Dec. 10	Thursday
2027	Dec. 10	Friday
2028	Dec. 10	Sunday
2029	Dec. 10	Monday
2030	Dec. 10	Tuesday
2031	Dec. 10	Wednesday

Mark it on the December 2026 printable calendar or the printable weekly calendar. The same day is Christmas Jumper Day in the UK, and International Volunteer Day comes five days earlier, on Dec. 5.

How can you mark Human Rights Day?

The UN’s “Know your rights!” page suggests these actions:

• Read and share the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Watch an article read in your native language.
• Read a simplified version or the illustrated booklet.
• Watch the Declaration in sign languages.

What does the free Human Rights Day checklist include?

The one-page sheet lists the Dec. 10 date and one tick box for each of the 30 articles, so you can read them all by Dec. 10. Labels are ours, based on the OHCHR plain-language version. Sources are the UN and OHCHR pages listed below.