Barometer in Context: Strengthening the Human Rights System

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)—the foundation of treaties, laws, institutions, and movements around the world pursuing justice, equality, dignity, freedom, and peace—is turning 75 years old. The UDHR anniversary presents an opportunity to reflect on the way forward for human rights.

The alarming state of the world, with worsening structural inequity, unrelenting climate crises, and dangerous polarization in politics, calls for answers. And the human rights ecosystem—often messy and sometimes incoherent—continues to offer one of the most important resources to tackle global challenges.

The Open Society Barometer, a 2023 poll of over 36,000 respondents from 30 countries, presents reasons for hope. The concept of human rights as a force for good remains widely popular, and a vast majority want to live in a democratic state. The challenge is limited faith in the ability of human rights to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives today, in a time of profound disorder and compounding crises. Identifying the specific role of human rights in addressing complex systemic issues, like poverty and corruption, as well as new challenges, like how technological advances are reshaping the human experience, will be key.

How can we envisage a way forward for the human rights framework which builds on past strengths and popular support while engaging these dilemmas? This paper by David Griffiths, drawing on findings from our global poll, offers 10 proposals for a path forward.