Human Rights Day, 2013
December 10, 2013
“As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, let us intensify our efforts to fulfill our collective responsibility to promote and protect the rights and dignity of all people everywhere.” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
There are many, many wonderful resources published today outlining where we are, looking ahead to the next 20 years, and reporting on annual progress toward the realization of our fundamental human rights.
The ACLU published a document, What You Should Know About the US and Human Rights and the US Human Rights Network, of which Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance is a proud member, published A Status Report on Human Rights in the United States.
The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner outlined 20 of the most important achievements accomplished since 1993:
Human rights have become central to the global conversation regarding peace, security and development.
New human rights standards have built on the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the implementation of international human rights treaties is significantly improved.
Additional explicit protections in international law now exist covering, among others, children, women, victims of torture, persons with disabilities, and regional institutions. Where there are allegations of breaches, individuals can bring complaints to the international human rights treaty bodies.
Women’s rights are now acknowledged as fundamental human rights. Discrimination and acts of violence against women are at the forefront of the human rights discourse.
6. There is global consensus that serious violations of human rights must not go unpunished. Victims have the right to claim justice, including within processes to restore the rule of law following conflicts. The International Criminal Court brings perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity to justice.
There has been a paradigm shift in the recognition of the human rights of people with disabilities, especially and crucially, their right to effective participation in all spheres of life on an equal basis with others.
There is now an international framework that recognizes the challenges facing migrants and their families which guarantees their rights and those of undocumented migrants.
The rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender individuals have been placed on the international agenda.
The challenges facing indigenous peoples and minorities are increasingly being identified and addressed by the international human rights mechanisms, especially with respect to their right to non-discrimination.
The Human Rights Council, set up in 2006, has addressed vital and sensitive issues and its Universal Periodic Review, established in the same year, has allowed countries to assess each other’s human rights records, make recommendations and provide assistance for improvement.
Independent human rights experts and bodies monitor and investigate from a thematic or country-specific perspective. They cover all rights in all regions, producing hard-hitting public reports that increase accountability and help fight impunity.
States and the United Nations recognize the pivotal role of civil society in the advancement of human rights. Civil society has been at the forefront of human rights promotion and protection, pinpointing problems and proposing innovative solutions, pushing for new standards, contributing to public policies, giving voice to the powerless, building worldwide awareness about rights and freedoms and helping to build sustainable change on the ground.
There is heightened awareness and growing demand by people worldwide for greater transparency and accountability from government and for the right to participate fully in public life.
National human rights institutions have become more independent and authoritative and have a powerful influence on governance. Over a third of all countries have established one or more such institutions.
The United Nations Fund for Victims of Torture has assisted hundreds of thousands of victims of torture to rebuild their lives. Likewise, the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, with its unique victim-oriented approach, has provided humanitarian, legal, and financial aid to individuals whose human rights have been violated through more than 500 projects.
Victims of trafficking are now regarded as entitled to the full range of human rights and are no longer perceived to be criminals.
A growing consensus is emerging that business enterprises have human rights responsibilities.
There are now guidelines for States which support freedom of expression while defining where speech constitutes a direct incitement to hatred or violence.
The body of international human rights law continues to evolve and expand, to address emerging human rights issues such as the rights of older persons, the right to the truth, a clean environment, water and sanitation, and food.