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Amid large-scale atrocities and widespread abuses across the world, Human Rights Day should rally more concerted global action to promote the timeless principles that we have collectively pledged to uphold. ¨CBan Ki-moon, Secretary-General

This Thursday, 10 December, is Human Rights Day, a day that commemorates the adoption of the by the 51³Ô¹Ï General Assembly in 1948.?

The theme of this year's Human Rights Day is Our Rights. Our Freedoms. Always. and it marks the launch of a year-long campaign for the?50^th?anniversary of the two International Covenants on Human Rights: the??and the?, which were adopted by the 51³Ô¹Ï General Assembly on 16 December 1966.? The two Covenants, together with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, form the International Bill of Human Rights, setting out the civil, political, cultural, economic, and social rights that are the birth right of all human beings.

The year-long campaign, designed to promote and raise awareness of the two Covenants, revolves around the theme of rights and freedoms -- freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear -- which underpin the International Bill of Human Rights and are as relevant today as they were when the Covenants were adopted 50 years ago. For more on this year's theme and the year-long campaign see the?.

This year 10 December also marks the end of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence which began on 25 November. Events were planned in more than 70 countries around the world over the course of the 16 days.?

There are events taking place around the globe to commemorate Human Rights Day, including a panel discussion on 'Human Rights Up Front' at the 51³Ô¹Ï Headquarters in New York, the live webcast of which can be streamed live on 9 December between 3-5pm EST .

Click to read the Secretary-General's message and get involved on social media using #humanrightsday.

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