TRANSCRIPT
The United Nations human rights chief is urging countries to work together to overcome threats to human rights such as war and pollution.
Volker Turk made the call at an event to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
He asked delegates to remember the spirit in which the declaration was adopted by the newly-created United Nations in 1948, in response to World War Two and what the document describes as "barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind."
“And so I view today’s event as a call to hope and a call to action at a time of so little solidarity and so much divisive and short-sighted vision, I view it as a call to overcome polarisation, a call to work, with courage and principles, together, to resolve the huge challenges that we face.”
He reminded attendees that never before in the post-war period has there been 55 active conflicts at the same time as is the case now.
“We live among such failures today with the turmoil and suffering that they produce. War: my thoughts go to the millions of people suffering unbearably in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, notably Gaza, and Israel; in Sudan; Ukraine; Myanmar; and so many other places. Famine. Oppressive and hateful discrimination. Repression and persecution. Threats to human rights generated by climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. These are profound and interlocking challenges that stem from the failure to uphold human rights.”
Jim Anaya is a professor at the University of Colorado Law School in Boulder, and specialises in international human rights and the rights of indigenous peoples.
He explains what the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is.
"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948, just three years after the United Nations was created, and it was the first instrument or document that came out of the then-Commission on Human Rights. The Commission on Human Rights was established to create awareness about human rights in the world and to promote human rights and human rights standards and norms."
Why was it adopted?
"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in significant part in response to the atrocities that had happened leading up to World War Two and during World War Two. Until that time, the international community really didn't have a norm or standard of human rights. International law did not incorporate human rights other than in certain limited areas."
What is its purpose?
"The Declaration affirms the fundamental human rights of everybody starting with the right to life, the right of everybody to be treated equally, the right to bodily integrity, the right to free speech, the classic rights that we know and that are to some extent protected in most of the constitutions in the world. The challenge now is to see those rights realised in the everyday lives of people everywhere. There's still great suffering. We see more than respect for these human rights - we see the violation of them. And so there's an enormous amount to do to see these rights implemented."
Actress and United Nations Refugee Agency [[UNCHR]] goodwill ambassador Cate Blanchett says education for refugees, supporting host countries and hearing personal accounts of those forced to flee their homes are the focus of this year's Global Refugee Forum in Geneva.
“It's a wonderful opportunity for the humanitarian sector, the government sector, for civil society and for philanthropists to sort of intersect, to really concretely tackle the displacement crisis. And I think that it's important to focus on the education quadrant and really supporting host communities, I think is a big one for me that I've really reconnected with this year.”
The 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights fell on a Sunday this year, with Pope Francis praying for peaceful co-existence and a reduction in conflicts, during his weekly sermon from The Vatican.
"We are heading towards Christmas, will we be able with God's help to take concrete steps of peace? It is not easy, we know. Some conflicts have deep historical roots, but we also have the testimony of men and women who have worked with wisdom and patience for peaceful coexistence. Let us follow their example, let us put all our efforts into addressing and removing the causes of conflicts. And speaking of human rights, let civilians, hospitals, and places of worship be protected, hostages be freed and humanitarian aid be guaranteed."
