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| | Message from the Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of Human Rights Day (10 December 2003)
08-12-2003 - In a world disfigured by poverty, discrimination, exclusion, the deterioration of the environment and other ills, the realization of human rights for all is a common purpose which unites people from different continents, religions and cultures. |
In this regard, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted fifty-five years ago, continues to be “a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations”. Its relevance is undimmed by the passage of time; it remains a vital source of inspiration to all those striving for a better future for themselves and their children.
The need to construct a world respectful of human rights was deeply felt by Sergio Vieira de Mello, the late United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. His tragic death in Baghdad in August 2003 was a major loss for all those who believe in and work for human rights. With his passing, I lost a good friend and a close colleague who dedicated his life to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the struggle to ensure their attainment by all.
Human Rights Day is not an occasion for celebrations or festivities. Rather, it is a day for taking stock – for reflecting on what has been done and what remains to be achieved. A lot has been done: numerous standards have been internationally agreed upon, mechanisms for the protection of human rights have been established at international and national levels, and people are generally much more aware of their rights and of the ways in which they can assert and protect them. However, much remains to be done to make all human rights – civil, cultural, economic, political and social – affordable and attainable by all.
Raising awareness on human rights is a key to their attainment. This is why the right to education is so fundamental for human rights in general. This is why knowledge and awareness are a condition of empowerment. Only a person who is aware that he or she has rights can better strive for those rights, whether it be the right to a job, to obtain adequate food, shelter or medical care, to participate actively in political life, or to benefit from the progress of science and technology. Only a person aware of his or her rights can fully utilize all the means to protect those rights and the rights of others.
UNESCO strongly believes that every child – girl or boy – should have access to education. Indeed, we believe that quality basic education should be available to everyone by right. The implementation of the right to education, together with other human rights and fundamental freedoms, lies at the heart of the Strategy on Human Rights just adopted by the Organization. We seek to ensure that all of UNESCO’s activities in the fields of education, the sciences, culture, communication and information are designed with a view to improving the daily life of people. Research on the obstacles to the implementation of human rights and the ways to overcome those impediments should feed into the global movement for human rights. In this movement, every government, every organization and every person has a role to play. It is only by working together that we can protect our own rights and the rights of those who need them the most.
Our world can be a more secure and better place for everyone if a real culture of human rights prevails. This means that all activities, all actions and all decisions by governments and peoples alike should be measured by reference to certain fundamental criteria. To what extent, for example, do these decisions/actions correspond to the ideals of human rights? To what extent do they help to implement human rights for all? And to what extent do they protect human beings from the detrimental effects of the improper or unethical use of science, technology or power?
A world in which all human beings “…shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want…”, as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is our shared goal. Let us work together to achieve this goal.
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Office of the Spokeswoman
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