Article 22 - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (English version)

This piece is part of a collection of 30 xylographs, produced by the multimedia artist Otávio Roth (1952-1993), that graphically express the content of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). The series took two years to reach completion, with each piece printed on handmade paper created by the artist himself. Driven by the desire to democratize access to the Charter, Otávio Roth synthesized its message in graphic pieces that facilitate the understanding and memorization of the Charter’s content.

Roth was the first living artist invited to exhibit at the United Nations. His prints have been on permanent display at UN headquarters in New York, Geneva and Vienna since 1981. In addition to the English series, the artist produced other series in Japanese, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian and Danish, using techniques as diverse as crayon, watercolor and pulp painting.

About Article 22
After outlining a long list of civil and political rights, the Declaration turns to economic, social and cultural rights in Article 22 and the subsequent six articles. These rights, mostly developed in the 20th century, include the right to work, to an adequate standard of living, education, motherhood and childhood, social security and the right to participate in cultural life. The inclusion of these economic and social rights gives effect to one of U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” - the right to an adequate standard of living. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), in 1900 only 17 countries had social protection systems to support individuals and families through pensions, disability payments for injured workers, benefits for mothers, health insurance and many other programs.