The UN General Assembly proclaimed 10 December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to draw attention to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as "a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations."

The Declaration calls for "the advent of a world world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people."

Protecting the human rights  – including reproductive rights – of all people is a precondition for individual well-being and collective sustainable growth. UNFPA works to empower individuals and communities to claim their rights. UNFPA also works with governments to support human rights standards that have been affirmed in national laws and international agreements, and assists them in fulfilling their duty to protect human rights in practice.