Human Rights Day

Today, as we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we can trace the evolution of a powerful international movement. We can take pride in the body of international human rights law that has been established and reflected in national legislation.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights set down in writing for the first time the rights to which every human being is entitled. As the bedrock of international human rights standards, the Declaration continues to guide efforts for peace, justice and human progress.

Today, we salute those individuals who seek equal justice, equal opportunity and equal dignity without discrimination. We acknowledge that, while progress has been made during the past six decades, the realization of universal human rights remains far from universal. Atrocious violations continue that force us to confront the depths of cruelty to which human beings can plunge. The widespread discrimination and violence that persists against women and girls represents a final frontier in humanity’s quest for social justice.

Today on Human Rights Day, the last of 16 days of activism to end violence against women, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, calls for an end to impunity. We call for increased action and investment to promote women’s empowerment and equality and the right to reproductive health. Success in promoting human rights depends both on the rule of law and changes in individual attitudes and behaviour. Understanding the cultural context is vital to the quest for universal human rights. Today, it is worth recalling the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, the United States delegate who six decades ago led the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She said:

“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to the home, so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any map of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person…Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere.”

Today on Human Rights Day and every day, let us promote a culture of human rights. Let us develop these universal ideals in our institutions, our families and ourselves.