UN to mark 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Ms. Navi Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), gave an update on tomorrow’s global commemorations to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On Human Rights Day, the United Nations Secretary-General will launch a very special campaign and people everywhere are invited to take part.

Each year, the world is being asked to remember the extraordinary accomplishment on that day in 1948 when all the nations came together in Paris to sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which states: “The power and relevance of the recognition enshrined in the Declaration – that all human beings have fundamental rights and freedoms – is undiminished today.”

“For the first time, all human rights, civil, social, economic and political were looked at as being for all people, Ms. Pillay added.” All human beings are born free and equal in regards to liberty and rights,” she added. “Yet, I don’t think any country can sit back today, and say the entire job has been done.”

Ms. Pillay said the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been successful in trying to mitigate human rights abuses-and had increased progress to protect the poor and marginalized during wartime and conflict, but the incidents were too high to help effectively combat all genocide.

“We have come less far on preventing genocide.”

She cited the cases of high level officials including the former Prime-Minister of Rwanda and the Sudanese government whom she said committed or are committing horrible human rights abuses against their civilians.

She underlined the importance of the Genocide Convention which was approved 60 years ago under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and has helped those who are abused get the help they need. Pillay also said the Internet has helped put human rights violations on the map and out to the international community at a much swifter rate–thus helping victims greatly.

On Sudan, the Security Council Resolution 1564 commissioned OHCHR to set up an inquiry on genocide committed in Darfur. In response, Pillay’s office set up the commission of inquiry but did not find a Sudanese genocidal policy but rather “genocidal intent”committed by a few individuals. This information was passed on to the ICC.

OHCHR currently has human rights observers in the country, and Pillay said, “sexual violence and attacks against civilians occurs daily without pause. Civilians are caught in the conflict and in this particular case, sends a signal that they are being used as weapons of war.”