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Open Letter to the Director-General of UNESCO

[21 February 2024]

Dear Director-General Audrey Azoulay,

I am writing to address a crucial aspect of human rights, specifically the need for standardised definitions within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

As we know, it wasn't enough to say humans have rights. Therefore, we standardised human rights in the UDHR —in 1948. According to the same logic, the UDHR without standard meanings and definitions causes difficulty in understanding.
When the UDHR can't be understood, it cannot be fulfilled. For instance:
1. In the first line of the UDHR, we see "recognition of the inherent dignity". The question is: What does "dignity" mean?

2. In the third paragraph of the Preamble, we see, "human rights should be protected by the rule of law". The question is: What makes a directive a law, and how do we distinguish between a law and a non-law?

3. In three instances within the UDHR text —Articles 22, 26, and 29— we see that the document hints at the development of human personality. In that relation, the questions are:
a. What does "full development of the human personality" mean?
b. Which type of education can guide us towards the "full development of the human personality"?

Answering such questions and considering the critical importance of standardised definitions, I have explored various terms and concepts in detail in my work, "The UDHR, A Serious Text", which is only a step toward preparing standard meanings to the UDHR contents.

Working on the UDHR contents is not individual work. Confessing this verity, I would be honoured to share my work with UNESCO and engage in discussions on how we can collaborate to enhance the understanding and impact of the UDHR.

I am confident that through collaborative efforts, we can contribute to a more comprehensive and adequate understanding of the UDHR, making it a more influential text for promoting human rights worldwide.
I would appreciate discussing my proposal further and exploring potential collaboration with UNESCO.

Yours Sincerely,

Bahman Azadfar, Philosopher