As said by Human Rights activist Shulamith Koenig
"Human Rights are the banks of the river within which life can flow in freedom and dignity."
Does the U.N. declaration of human rights hold value in today's society?
I believe the UN plays an extremely important role in today's society and therefore does hold value. As the nations of the world increase their interdependence of one another there will be an increasing need for a multinational body to act as peacekeepers, protectors & negotiators WITHOUT becoming world police. The key to the UN's power is that it is made up of 99% of the worlds governments. The actions and motivations of the UN are firmly based on their Declaration of human rights which is the first document to receive multinational support for laying down the rights believed to be owed to each and every human being.
Human Rights is an issue that has gained much public notice over the last 60 years, mainly starting with the end of world war 2. This is because many of the world problems can be largely traced back to human rights abuses and their reactions. This creates a need for a globally accessible document even though many countries embrace some articles while disregarding others. It also acts as a benchmark
Why doesn't the UN take more action against countries violating Human Rights?
As I mentioned earlier, the UN cannot act as world police as this would be stating that the world can operate under one legal system. Additionally the declaration is not a treaty and has no legal backing. We are made up of a planet of diverse cultures and