Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day takes place on Thursday 10 December 2026, the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948.

When is Human Rights Day?

Human Rights Day is observed in December (December 10). It is one of the many UK awareness days that bring people together around a shared cause, and you can see the full calendar.

Why Human Rights Day matters

Rights are easy to agree with in the abstract and hard to deliver in a particular case. The organisations that do the delivering, advice centres, refugee support, prison visiting, advocacy, run on volunteer time. Explore human rights volunteering.

How to get involved in Human Rights Day

There are three simple ways to make Human Rights Day count:

• Volunteer: give time to an advice service, a refugee support group or an advocacy project, where language skills and patient admin are both in short supply. Browse opportunities.
• Fundraise: raise money for a rights organisation working on one issue you can name.
• Raise awareness: read one article of the Universal Declaration and tell someone what it means in practice.

Human Rights Day volunteering opportunities

Mark Human Rights Day by doing something real. Find volunteering opportunities and start today.

Get involved with Human Rights Day

Browse live opportunities, log your hours, and earn verified badges you can add to your CV and LinkedIn. Find volunteering roles or see more awareness days.