Is the UDHR relevant to nations that gained their independence after its adoption?
Yes. With the realities of a post-war world, many of today s countries were colonies or not yet independent when the UDHR drafting process took place. Yet these new democracies have consistently embraced the principles of the Universal Declaration as they emerge from under the weight of military dictatorships, theocracies, and periods of colonial, authoritarian or totalitarian rule. At the time that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted, there were only 58 Member States to the United Nations. Today there are 185 members. As they have gained their freedom, these new Members States have often integrated the UDHR directly into their national constitutions and have affirmed and reaffirmed their faith in the Universal Declaration through numerous UN resolutions and international human rights treaties. Individual citizens in these new nations often point to the Universal Declaration as a primary source of inspiration in their own struggles for independence, sovereignty and se
