Human Rights

"Despite the progress in all areas of human rights, THE GOALS OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION REMAINS ELUSIVE for the men, women and children who still live in poverty. It is time we recognized poverty for what it is; a brutal denial of human rights for the 1.3 billion who live on less than US$1 a day. The poor are deprived of many things, including a long life. The absence of basic amenities such as safe drinking water and health care means that almost a third of the people in the world's least developed countries have a life expectancy of 40 years. Illiteracy imposes severe limits on access of the poor people to knowledge, informed opinions and political participation. Women in poverty, who are victims of the same deprivations as men, carry the additional burden of unequal access to services, legal status and financial credit necessary to support their families.

In an era of abundant wealth and information, surely it is possible to vanquish large-scale poverty. And fifty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, surely all people are entitled to the recognition of our common humanity. Human development and well-being, literacy, good health and employment, like civil, political and cultural rights, are not favors or acts of charity bestowed on the poor. They are the human rights, and they are as valid today as they were fifty years ago."

- James Gustave Speth
Choices - December 1998

Special Focus United Nations Human Rights Websites:

Human Rights: http://www.un.org/rights/

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: http://un.org/Overview/rights.html

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: http://www.unhchr.ch/hchr_un.htm

Research Guide Human Rights: http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/spechr.htm

Committee on Torture: http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/spechr.htm#torture

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/spechr.htm#social

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/spechr.htm#women

In 1998, human rights was high on the agenda of the international community and in particular the United Nations: December 10, 1998, marked the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). On that occasion, the international community shall also undertake a first review of the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA), adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993.

Together, these events are an important occasion for a global assessment of where we stand with regard to the promotion and protection of human rights 50 years after the adoption of the UDHR and, in particular, for building new momentum for the strengthening of the respect of human rights. These events should highlight the universality of human rights and contribute to the strengthening of international institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, in particular the UN human rights programme under the leadership of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (HCHR).

The two human rights events in 1998 are interlinked and should be mutually reinforcing:

The 50th anniversary of the UDHR provides an excellent opportunity for a broad based human rights movement and high level events mobilizing and involving the general public in all parts of the world for the further advancement of human rights.

The 5 year review of the VDPA should be used for an assessment of the implementation of the human rights commitments of the World Conference, in particular of the human rights activities of the UN system under the leadership of the HCHR.

If you are planning an event in your country...please let us know ASAP! Contact the Administrator.

Here is an excellent NGO website that quickly points out the UN documents and the governments official statements on many areas of Human Rights...

Peoples Decade of Human Rights Education - PDHRE at http://www.pdhre.org

---

---

Please contact the Webmaster with comments and suggestions.

---

© Copyright 2000 ngos.net. All rights reserved.

---

To return to the ngos.net Home Page at any time,
just click on the icon at the bottom of each page.