Articles 1 and 2: Dignity, Equality and Non-Discrimination

The first two articles of the Universal Declaration set out its foundation. Article 1 states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, are endowed with reason and conscience, and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Notice that it does not say where dignity comes from: the drafters deliberately left out references to God or nature, so that people of different beliefs could accept it.

Article 2 says everyone is entitled to the Declaration's rights without distinction of any kind, listing race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. It adds that no distinction may be made based on the status of a person's country or territory, including colonies. In 1948 many governments, including some that voted for it, practised segregation, colonial rule or sex discrimination, so Article 2 set a standard that condemned their own laws.

This gap helped campaigners hold them to account.