Human Rights Day 2025 is being marked across the world today with a pointed reminder from the United Nations: human rights are not lofty slogans reserved for crises, but the invisible scaffolding holding up ordinary life — from switching on a light to logging into a classroom.

This year’s UN Human Rights Day campaign, themed “Our Everyday Essentials”, also described by UN partners as “Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials”, urges people to see rights as basic, daily necessities rather than abstract ideals.

The campaign draws a straight line between seemingly simple acts — drinking safe water, walking home without fear, reading independent news, or expressing an opinion online — and the rights guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Adopted by the UN General As

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