The promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 was the most important achievement achieved by the United Nations in its history, and it could have marked the beginning of a new phase in human history based on the fact that it had reached the stage of maturity and agreed to protect human dignity, freedom and rights.

But 73 years after this declaration was made, we must pause to see what its impact was.

And what are the consequences of it?

Were his texts respected?

Why did the United Nations fail to obligate its members to implement it?

What is the future of human rights?

An in-depth answer to these questions could constitute a new stage of the struggle to protect human rights, transforming them from mere texts to a global culture, general agreement, and political and civilized awareness.

The West has been silent about Israel's crimes against humanity, the massacres it committed against the Palestinians, their forced displacement, the destruction of their cities, and the torture of their prisoners.

Western hypocrisy

It is certain that Western hypocrisy, double standards, racism, and a preference for colonial interests based on control, plunder of wealth, and alliance with dictatorial regimes;

One of the most important factors that hindered the implementation of the texts of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and canceled the true value of those texts.

This means that America and European countries violated those texts when they allied themselves with the dictatorial regimes, and encouraged them to commit the most heinous crimes against humanity in order to preserve their interests, and because these tyrannical regimes committed those crimes against political trends hated and hostile by the West, and the Islamic trend was the most important trends that violated the rights of its members, and killing them, whether using the law or outside it.

Studying the West's silence about the dictatorial regimes' violation of the rights of Islamists is a case of its hypocrisy, and its treatment of human rights with racism and double standards.

This could be an answer to a question;

Why has the world failed to implement the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

From 1948 until now, we can observe many facts about the West's encouragement of regimes that persecute Islamists because it deals with them as enemies, and because they constitute the only obstacle to complete Israeli control over the Middle East, the usurpation of Palestine, and the realization of the deal of the century.

The West has been silent on Israel's crimes against humanity, the massacres it committed against the Palestinians, their forced displacement, the destruction of their cities, and the torture of their prisoners.

At the same time, Western countries - especially the United States of America - protected the dictatorial regimes that persecuted the Islamists, and practiced violations against them that were no less dangerous, brutal and hideous than those carried out by Israel against the Palestinians.

This explains racism and the lack of consideration of human beings on the basis of the rules of justice and equality, which contradicts the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity of all human family and of their equal and inalienable rights is the basis of freedom, justice and peace in the world, and Human rights and their contempt has led to barbaric acts that have hurt the conscience of humanity, and since the goal of what the common people aspire to is the emergence of a world in which the individual enjoys freedom of speech and belief and is free from fear and want, it was necessary for the law to protect human rights so that he would not eventually have to rebel against tyranny and injustice.”

The concept of the human family

The previous text is distinguished by its richness, as it forms the basis for the texts that states must abide by, and for the concepts on which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is based.

The first concept that we find clear in the text is the "human or human family", and that the members of that family should enjoy their equal rights.

This concept impressed me, and it greatly influenced my studies in the field of international media and mental image, and there is no doubt that this concept finds its roots in Islam, as it came in the farewell sermon delivered by the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, on Mount Arafa:

“O people, your blood and your honor are forbidden to you until you meet your Lord as the sacredness of this day of yours in this month of yours in this country of yours.

O people, the believers are but brothers, and it is not permissible for a person to have his brother’s money except with his consent. Have you not reached?

Oh God, bear witness.

O people, your Lord is one and your father is one, you are all from Adam, and Adam is from dust.

The most honorable of you with God is the most pious of you, and there is no preference for an Arab over a non-Arab except with piety… Have you not reached?

Oh God, bear witness."

Agreeing on this concept constitutes an important civilized achievement, as a network of concepts are linked to it, the most important of which are human dignity, equality, the prohibition of racial discrimination, equality, justice and peace.

Therefore, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights linked this concept to the law's protection of human rights, and the declaration clearly refers to the human right to rebel against tyranny and injustice in the event that the law fails to protect his rights.

The concept of human conscience

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights used an important concept, which is the human conscience, and emphasized that the barbaric acts represented in neglecting and contempt for human rights constituted harm to this conscience.

This concept indicates that humanity has reached the degree of maturity and wisdom that makes it judge its conscience over actions, and depends in its assessment on the commitment to human rights, and that any violation of these rights constitutes an injury to this conscience.

The Declaration linked the concept of human conscience to the emergence of a world in which the individual enjoys freedom of speech and belief, and freedom from fear and want.

This discourse that occupied the preamble of the Declaration is based on human ambition and hope represented in building a new world based on ensuring human rights, and that the Declaration expresses the belief of the peoples of the United Nations in human rights and in the dignity of the individual, and that these peoples have resolved to advance social progress and raise the level of Life in freedom.

The concept of social advancement

This concept, which appeared in the Declaration, clarifies that the establishment of human civilization, progress and raising the standard of life is based on expanding the field of freedom that allows individuals to express their ideas, produce and exchange knowledge.

This means that the violation of the rights of individuals to say and expression necessarily leads to closing the way for peoples to achieve progress, and reducing their ability to build and develop civilization.

We can clearly notice the link between underdevelopment, poverty and human tragedies on the one hand, and tyranny that violates human rights on the other.

Here we can ask important questions;

Among them, was the keenness of Western countries to encourage authoritarian regimes and ally themselves with them an attempt to impose backwardness and poverty on peoples and prevent them from benefiting from the efforts of their sons, their ideas and their struggle to achieve independence?

Did the Western countries wish to prevent the countries that were colonizing them from achieving progress, democracy and freedom in order to continue to plunder their wealth?

Therefore, the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was characterized by ambition, and expressed hopes that did not find an echo in a world based on the use of force, and in which Western countries are trying to impose their colonial ideology on peoples.

Cooperation and commitment

The preamble to the Declaration noted that UN Member States pledged themselves to cooperate with the UN to ensure that human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected.

Therefore, the United Nations General Assembly called on states to bear this declaration in mind, to consolidate respect for these freedoms through education and to take measures to ensure their effective recognition and observance among states and peoples under their authority.

But it is clear that states have not adhered to this declaration, and there are many events that prove that the texts of this declaration have been violated, and that the United Nations has not fulfilled its responsibility to obligate states to what they pledged to do;

Therefore, peoples did not rely on nations in their struggle to demand respect for human rights, and this means that peoples lost confidence in the United Nations, and that historical experience confirms the failure of this organization and its organs to condemn states that violate human rights and commit crimes against humanity.

Thus, there was no impact on the most important civilizational achievement during the last 20th century, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which expressed humanity's hope to build a new world.

Why the United Nations failed to protect human rights?

The answer to this question requires a review of the process of establishing the United Nations and its organizations, how they are managed, and the extent to which they are subject to Western countries that possess military power and exaggerate its use.

The United Nations, its organs and organizations have turned into a tool in the hands of the United States of America. Therefore, peoples have lost confidence in the organization and in its ability to protect human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has lost its luster despite the existence of concepts and texts that can form a theoretical basis for protecting human dignity and ensuring respect for it.

Thus, the world lost a historic opportunity to achieve peace and progress and to confront disasters and human tragedies, of which injustice, persecution, oppression and the arrogance of power were among the most important causes.

The United Nations was weaker than the great mission on which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights laid the foundation, which is to protect the human family from the dangers of racism, tyranny and injustice.

Could the United Nations have performed this civilized function and faced the cruelty and tyranny of states in dealing with citizens?

Certainly, it could have played its role if it had been built on the foundations of justice and equality, and respect for the rights of peoples, and that it would in fact be a council for the human family.

But while acknowledging the failure of the United Nations, and that it is too weak to protect human rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights can constitute a starting point for the peoples’ future struggle against tyranny and the arrogance of power, and it is this struggle that can protect the human family from perdition and destruction.

Defending human rights and respecting their dignity is a great honor for any country or organization. It is this defense that confirms belonging to humanity, and it is a civilized achievement that deserves to be proud.

As for the violation of human dignity and rights, it is a disgrace and a crime against humanity.