The author of this paper believes that the recognition and protection of human rights and freedoms are the very foundation of modern Western civilization. Why is Western civilization perceived as the flagship of human rights protection, are there any other civilizations from which the West draws sources of protection of human rights and freedoms, what are the legal acts that form the crown of human rights and freedoms protection in the West? What bodies, people and organizations contributed to its emergence? These are many questions whose answers the researcher seeks to find in this research. In pursuit of answers, the researcher directly studies peerreviewed research by international and domestic experts prompted by the words of Elvis Presley; "The truth is like the Sun. You can ignore it, but it won't leave." Using the method of researching secondary and published literature, the author studies the definitions of human rights throughout history and legal acts in which they are, from the Hammurabi Code to modern sources such as the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its protocols. The author also studies the definition of human rights from the point of view of the two prevailing theories, the application of the responsibilities of the state, the individual and organizations for the protection of human rights and freedoms, and modern institutions that protect these rights and freedoms.