Human rights have been central to the United Nations (UN) since the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and they continue to play a role in debates about the UN's responsibility to protect the vulnerable. Despite having proven ineffective in preventing some human rights abuses, the UN has done important work in setting standards and creating the rules that govern international human rights law. Learn more about the UN's role in upholding these norms in Human Rights and Protecting Individuals, one of the titles in The United Nations series.