In 1948, Canada was behind the big push at the United Nations to develop a Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was a heady time. The world had just emerged from the Second World War.

Human Rights Watch is on the front lines, documenting abuses and speaking out for justice. But this vital work isn’t possible without compassionate people like you stepping up in moments like these.

The event took place 20 March during the 69th Commission on the Status of Women, a panel of experts discussing those women who helped draft and adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

December 10 marked the United Nations Human Rights Day, a day designed by the U.N. to commemorate the U.N. General Assembly adopting, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (the UDHR).