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Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on 10 December. It commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The formal inception of Human Rights Day dates from 1950, after the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V) inviting all States and interested organizations to adopt 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day.
When the General Assembly adopted the Declaration, with 48 states in favour and eight abstentions, it was proclaimed as a "common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations", towards which individuals and societies should "strive by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance". Although the Declaration with its broad range of political, civil, social, cultural and economic rights is not a binding document, it inspired more than 60 human rights instruments which together constitute an international standard of human rights. Today the general consent of all United Nations Member States on the basic Human Rights laid down in the Declaration makes it even stronger and emphasizes the relevance of Human Rights in our daily lives.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, as the main United Nations rights official, and her Office play a major role in coordinating efforts for the yearly observation of Human Rights Day.
For more information on the UN and its human rights website, please click here.
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Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign The European Focal Point of the GEAR Campaign has launched a website (www.un-gear.eu) to engage civil society organisations and individuals in the Campaign, which presses governments to improve the way the United Nations works for gender equality, and to create a single strong women’s entity. Worldwide, women are less likely to go to school, receive adequate health care, or own property. The Campaign argues that the United Nations could have a better role in working for women’s rights at the global level, and that its current bodies dealing with gender equality lack resources and coherence to really deliver for women. |
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UK Examination On the 12/13 May, the UN Committee monitoring the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights examined the UK’s 4th and 5th periodic reports. The UK signed the Covenant in 1968 and ratified it in 1976. All countries that are signed up to the Covenant are obliged to submit reports to the Committee every five years, on how the rights are being implemented in their own country. The UK’s preparations and delegation were led by the Joint International Unit in the Department for Work and Pensions. A number of key WNC partners have submitted Shadow Reports towards the examination, including the Northern Ireland Women’s European Platform (NIWEP) and Engender, and the EHRC has also produced a Shadow Report. We look forward to reading the recommendations produced by the Committee. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights |
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International Links Below you will find some useful links to relevant organisations and websites. |
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