Today is the UN Human Rights Day. This year’s theme relates to ‘Equality’ - Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights.’

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December, the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This year's theme is based on article 1 of the UDHR – “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

The UDHR is a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

A human rights-based approach to development - through equality, inclusion and non-discrimination - is the best way to reduce inequalities and to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

A human rights-based economy can break cycles of poverty / Rebuilding fairer: a new social contract
Poverty, inequalities and structural discrimination are human rights violations and among the greatest global challenges of our time. A new social contract which shares resources, power and opportunities and sets the foundations of a sustainable human rights-based economy is needed. Addressing them requires political commitment and participation of all, especially those most affected.

Human, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as the right to development and the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, are central to building a new human rights-based economy, which should be the foundation of a new social contract.

Equal opportunities for youth
Continuous financial and health crises have had a wide dimension of permanent impacts on millions of young people. Youth’s right to accessing decent jobs and social protection is key in order to prevent mounting inequality and poverty.

UNCDF also supports creating greater economic and employment opportunities for youth through it's GrEEn project, as well as through it's Jobs, Skills and Finance (JSF) programme, aiming to reduce poverty through improved inclusive and sustainable growth and employment.

Advancing the rights to a healthy environment and climate justice
Environmental degradation, including climate change, pollution and nature loss, disproportionately impacts persons, groups and peoples in vulnerable situations. These impacts exacerbate existing inequalities and negatively affect the human rights of present and future generations.

Through UNCDF's Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) programme, Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) project, and UNCDF's Global Climate Select ETF, are only a few of the ways UNCDF supports preventing and solving envirnomental degradation and it's consecuences, especially to those most vulnerable.

Read more on the UN Human Rights Day, here.