When the United Nations General Assembly approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 1948, it was hailed as a major advancement for humanity. In the aftermath of the horrors of World War II, nations around the world worked together for the first time in history to affirm the importance of human life and dignity.

Illustrated with full-color and black-and-white photographs, and accompanied by a chronology, bibliography, and further resources, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Updated Edition details how the Declaration was written through the tireless efforts of the drafting committee and of the Human Rights Commission, composed of former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt of the United States, René Cassin of France, Charles Malik of Lebanon, P.C. Chang of China, and John Humphrey of Canada. Readers will learn how the essential tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have continued to guide the global human rights movement for decades. Historical spotlights and excerpts from primary source documents are also included.