International Human Rights Day 2025 Programming
Human Rights Day is observed annually on 10 December, marking the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The UDHR established a global framework affirming that all people are entitled to dignity, equality, and fundamental freedoms.
To mark International Human Rights Day 2025, the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard Kennedy School has shared a series of public events and resources focused on the relevance of human rights in today’s global and local contexts.
Upcoming Webinar: Bringing Human Rights Home
Bringing Human Rights Home: From Global Principles to Local Impact
Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM EST
Format: Online
This Human Rights Day webinar will explore how international human rights principles influence everyday life and community-level realities. The discussion will also address challenges facing multilateral institutions and pathways for making the UN and related systems more effective.
Speakers include:
Desirée Cormier Smith, Inaugural U.S. Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice, U.S. State Department
Maggie Dougherty, Former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for International Organizations, National Security Council
Kelly M. Fay Rodríguez, Former Special Representative for International Labor Affairs, U.S. State Department
Jessica Stern, Former U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, U.S. State Department
Moderator:
Aminta Ossom, Lecturer on Law and Senior Clinical Instructor, International Human Rights Clinic, Harvard Law School
Registration is available through the Carr-Ryan Center.
Justice Matters Podcast Episode: Human Rights Day 2025
A special Human Rights Day episode of the Justice Matters podcast, titled “Rethinking Rights for a New Era,” features Faculty Director Mathias Risse in conversation with Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Policy Fellows.
Topics include pressing global human rights challenges, misinformation and repression, the effectiveness of international legal structures, grassroots movements, and guidance for young people entering the field.
Carr-Ryan Commentary: Human Rights and National Security
A new Carr-Ryan Commentary by Mathias Risse, “Reclaiming Western Identity: A Human Rights Day Response to America's New National Security Strategy,” critiques the omission of human rights from recent U.S. national security framing. The commentary argues that abandoning human rights commitments risks weakening moral authority and long-term global credibility.
Event Host
Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights Policy
Harvard Kennedy School
Cambridge, Massachusetts