Human Rights are not a recent invention - discussion of rights and responsibilities has been an important part of all societies throughout history.

Rights are related to the values that societies live by. These values have their origins in the world's great religions and philosophies.

Since the end of the Second World War, there has been a concerted attempt by the nations of the world to work together to identify what human rights exist and how they can best be promoted and protected.

Click on the links below to find information on some of the important human rights questions:

• Frequently asked questions about human rights
  Short answers to some of the big questions, with links to further information.
• Resource Sheet: What are Human Rights?
  A useful overview extracted from HREOC's Youth Challenge program.
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  Background to the first international statement on human rights.
• Human rights timeline
  Chart the course of human rights history.
• Resource Sheet: The origins of modern human rights laws
  Explores the development of our current human rights and anti-discrimination laws, also extracted from HREOC's Youth Challenge program.

You can also access:

• Human Rights Explained
  A detailed look at some of the current debates about human rights.
• Youth Challenge: Unit 1 - Human Rights in the Classroom
  An overview of human rights from HREOC's Youth Challenge Program.