Abstract: The aim of this essay is to recall the history of the rule-of-law provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with the hope of shedding some light on current controversies over the respective roles of nation-states and international bodes in bringing human rights to life. The Declaration, with its small core of principles to which people of vastly different backgrounds can appeal, is the single most important reference point for cross-national discussions of the human future on our increasingly inter-dependent and conflict-ridden planet.