Landmarks around the world turned blue for Human Rights Day

Sunday December 10 was Human Rights Day – 69 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed. Landmarks around the world lit up to mark the occasion.

Buildings illuminated the sky with a vivid blue on behalf of international non-profit NGO Human Rights Watch, to celebrate the values all human rights advocates fight for: "human dignity, nondiscrimination and justice for all".

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Sydney-siders may have seen the sails of the Sydney Opera House transform last night.

But there was plenty happening in other time zones too.

The Empire State Building in New York:

The flight tower at Toronto Airport:

And in the heart of town, at the CN Tower:

At St Paul's Church in Frankfurt:

From important public figures to regular old social media users, many used the day to stress the urgency of these values in the present moment.

"Let's come together to build a world where everyone – no matter their identity, beliefs, or circumstances – is born free and equal in dignity and rights," wrote Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter.

"On #HumanRightsDay, and every day."

Image: Twitter/@JustinTrudeau

Women's equality champion Malala Yousafazi posted a picture of herself at the home of Holocaust victim and writer Anne Frank.

"The words Anne Frank wrote in this room still remind us to cherish and defend human rights," she wrote.

"Today, I am thinking of Palestinian and Rohingya children- and all around the world still struggling to achieve Anne’s dream of freedom."

Image: Twitter/@Malala

2017 has been a strange and difficult year, with its fair share of both triumphs (like the passing of the same-sex marriage bill) and losses (just look at the ongoing struggle on Manus Island).

But moments like Human Rights Day are a good reminder: there are so many people working to make things better.