Human rights advocates agree that, sixty years after its issue, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is still more a dream than reality. Violations exist in every part of the world. For example, Amnesty International’s 2009 World Report and other sources show that individuals are:
– Tortured or abused in at least 81 countries
– Face unfair trials in at least 54 countries
– Restricted in their freedom of expression in at least 77 countries
Not only that, but women and children in particular are marginalised in numerous ways, the press is not free in many countries, and dissenters are silenced, too often permanently. While some gains have been made over the course of the last six decades, human rights violations still plague the world today.