Article 4 of the UDHR: No One Should Be Owned

When was the last time you thought about freedom? Not just freedom of speech or movement, but the most basic freedom of all—the right to not be owned by another person. Article 4 of the UDHR addresses this fundamental truth:

"No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms."

At its core, Article 4 is a clear and unequivocal rejection of one of humanity’s oldest and most brutal injustices: slavery. It declares that no person can ever be treated as property, and no one has the right to exploit or control another human being.

Why Article 4 Matters

Slavery is often seen as a relic of the past, but the reality is far more troubling. Modern slavery persists in various forms, including:

• Human Trafficking: Millions are forced into labor, sexual exploitation, or other forms of servitude.

  
  

• Forced Labor: Workers are coerced into jobs under threat, violence, or deception.

  
  

• Child Labor: Children are exploited for cheap labor, often in hazardous conditions.

  
  

• Debt Bondage: People are trapped in cycles of debt, forced to work indefinitely to repay loans.

Article 4 is a reminder that slavery is not just a historical issue—it’s a present-day crisis that demands urgent action.

Despite being outlawed in every country, slavery continues to affect over 40 million people worldwide, according to the International Labour Organization. Vulnerable groups—such as migrants, refugees, women, and children are particularly at risk. This stark reality shows that laws alone are not enough; systemic change is needed to address the root causes of exploitation.

Article 4 reminds us that freedom is non-negotiable. No one should ever be owned, controlled, or exploited. It’s a universal principle that challenges us to confront the injustices of the past and present, and to build a future where every person is truly free.