20-year Timeline

This timeline highlights some of the key events in the human rights field in the past 20 years, from the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted at the World Vienna Conference on 25 June 1993, which called for the establishment of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in 1993 to December 2013.

The timeline outlines major milestones in a number of critical human rights areas. Particular emphasis is placed on the core international human rights instruments (and their dates of entry into force), declarations and programmes of actions, key conferences, the appointments of the High Commissioners and the establishment of the mandate of thematic human rights experts.

Each key event is illustrated by audio visual material, feature stories or media content related to that specific issue.

This list is not exhaustive but attempts to put focus on some of the most significant achievements in the field of human rights over the course of the past two decades.

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