Human Rights Day

Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights

UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10 in 1948. To commemorate the same, the UN has declared Human Rights Day observation on December 10 and being observed since 1950. The world is struggling to cope up with the challenge of COVID pandemic. But times like these compounds, the problems being faced by those deprived, suppressed and struggling to survive. This year observing of Human Rights Day has the theme, very appropriately, focussing on the need to build back better by ensuring Human Rights are central to recovery efforts. Human beings need to pause and contemplate, can the progress be progress when there is discrimination. Progress remains elusive if it is not inclusive. Discrimination and human dignity cannot coexist. End discrimination of any kind and address inequalities.

The greatness of humanity is not being human
but in being humane
Mahatma Gandhi

In 1948 UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is a milestone document. It proclaims the entitlement of human beings. Regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political, national or social origin or any other status. It is perhaps the most translated document in the world and available in more than 500 languages. To commemorate the historic Declaration, Human Rights Day is being observed on December 10, since 1950. After general assembly passed the resolution, the UN invited all member states and any other interested organisations to celebrate the day as they saw fit. Even though the Declaration is not a binding document, it has led to constituting an international standard of human rights. Eleanor Roosevelt (the then first lady of US) played a leading role as Chairperson of the drafting committee of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home — so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world.
Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world
Eleanor Roosevelt

Traditionally UN Prize in the Field of Human Rights (awarded once in five years) and Nobel Peace Prize are awarded on December 10. The Nobel Peace Prize 2020 was awarded to World Food Programme (WFP) “for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.”

The world is struggling to cope up with the challenge of COVID pandemic. Governments and societies across the globe are finding ways to minimise the damage, researchers are putting their best efforts to find a cure and vaccine. But times like these compounds, the problems being faced by those deprived, suppressed and struggling to survive. This year observing of Human Rights Day has the theme very appropriately focussing on the need to build back better by ensuring Human Rights are central to recovery efforts.

Human rights are at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the absence of human dignity, sustainable development cannot be driven. Human beings need to pause and contemplate, can the progress be progress when the world still has people suffering due to hunger, poverty and discrimination? More appalling is pushing the whole younger generation to live in the regions of conflicts, denying them fundamental human rights to live with dignity. Progress remains elusive if it is not inclusive. Discrimination and human dignity cannot coexist.