The signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, marks a significant historical event. Forty countries came together shortly after the formation of the United Nations (U.N.) and at their meeting in Paris they made a profound pronouncement on the value and dignity of human life. The declaration consists mostly of a list of basic rights that the international community agreed upon as the inborn (inherent) legacy due to all human beings as members of one human species. At present, there are 193 member states in the United Nations (U.N.), each of which adheres, in principle, to the protection of human rights listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
