This year, in every part of the world, men, women and children of all faiths and tongues, of every colour and creed, are coming together to mark the 50th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
The 50th anniversary motto - "all human rights for all" - expresses the challenge we face today. For too many people around the world, the Declaration's tenets have yet to take on real meaning.
We must insist on greater respect for civil and political rights and on the building of democratic societies. But equally, we must insist that due attention be given to economic, social and cultural rights.
Mass illiteracy and poverty are human rights issues no less than freedom of expression, and the wilful disregard of the former is as likely to sow the seeds of conflict as the denial of the latter.
For the 1.3 billion people in the developing world who must survive on less than $1 a day, there can be no doubt about the link between development and human rights.
Perhaps the most basic human right challenged by human poverty is the right to life: nearly a third of the people in the least developed countries, most of them in subSaharan Africa, cannot expect to live beyond the age of 40.
Illiteracy imposes severe restrictions on access to knowledge and information and on other basic rights such as political participation. Women are the hardest hit, both by poverty and by a vast array of powerful, discriminatory barriers. We must always make it clear that women's rights are human rights.
Human rights - universal, indivisible and interdependent - belong to every individual; they are not a subsidy to be granted or taken away by governments or any other power.
The gains of half a century include an impressive body of laws and a growing global consciousness about the centrality of human rights. The Declaration has been translated into more than 250 languages.
Its tenets have been woven into the fabric of national and international life. It is many things at once: a manifesto, a blueprint, a contract, a roadmap.
Above all, it is a living document that has stood the test of time and takes on greater force - both ethically and juridically - with every passing year.
Our challenge now is to do better where we have fallen short, and bring human rights more fully to life on the ground, in people's daily lives.