Introduction
Consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 27), all cultures and societies recognise to some extent the right to rest and leisure. Here, because personal freedom and choice are central elements of leisure, individuals can freely choose their activities and experiences, many of them leading to substantial benefits for person and community.

Articles

1. All people have a basic human right to leisure activities that are in harmony with the norms and social values
of their compatriots. All governments are obliged to recognise and protect this right of its citizens.

2. Provisions for leisure for the quality of life are as important as those for health and education. Governments
should ensure their citizens a variety of accessible leisure and recreational opportunities of the highest quality.

3. The individual is his/her best leisure and recreational resource. Thus, governments should ensure the means
for acquiring those skills and understandings necessary to optimize leisure experiences.

4. Individuals can use leisure opportunities for self-fulfilment, developing personal relationships, improving social integration, developing communities and cultural identity as well as promoting international understanding and co-operation and enhancing quality of life.

5. Governments should ensure the future availability of fulfilling leisure experiences by maintaining the quality of
their country’s physical, social and cultural environment.

6. Governments should ensure the training of professionals to help individuals acquire personal skills, discover
and develop their talents and to broaden their range of leisure and recreational opportunities.

7. Citizens must have access to all forms of leisure information about the nature of leisure and its opportunities,
using it to enhance their knowledge and inform decisions on local and national policy.

8. Educational institutions must make every effort to teach the nature and importance of leisure and how to
integrate this knowledge into personal lifestyle.

Approved by the World Leisure Board of Directors, July 2000. The original version was adopted by the International Recreation Association in 1970, and subsequently revised by its successor, the World Leisure and Recreation Association in 1979.