United Nations(UN)’s Human Rights Day is annually observed across the world on 10th December, the day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) in 1948.
The theme of 2020 Human rights day is “Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights”, which is associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aim:
To create awareness about the social, cultural and physical rights
To ensure the welfare of the society in all contexts.
Human rights day 2020:
The Human rights day 2020 focuses on the needs to build back better by ensuring Human rights are central to recovery efforts.
The day provides a platform to affirm the importance of human rights and the need to ensure global solidarity, interconnectedness and shared humanity.
Background:
The UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/423(V) on 4th December 1950 and proclaimed the 10th December of every year as the Human rights day to celebrate the proclamation of the UDHR by the UNGA on 10th December 1948.
Events 2020:
i.The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – Regional Office for Europe (OHCHR) hosts an online audio visual event “Recover Better:Stand up for Human Rights” to highlight the innovations by and inspirational stories of people or organisations that work toward building a better world.
ii.UN Human Rights has organised a virtual event “A Celebration of COVID-19 Frontline Heroes.” focused on the frontline workers of COVID-19 pandemic.
iii.To celebrate Human rights day the UN Chamber Music Society performs a virtual concert featuring composers from different backgrounds on 10th December 2020.
Events in India:
i.On the occasion of 2020 Human rights Day, the Maharashtra Circle of India Post released a special cover on “Human Rights”.
ii.This initiative is aimed to create awareness on human rights and to ensure equality, cooperation, peace and universal respect among people.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR):
i.The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) proclaims the rights entities to everyone as a human being regardless their race, colour, religion, sex, language, political, national, social origin, property, birth or other status.
ii.The document is available in more than 500 languages; this is the most translated document in the world.
iii.The illustrative version of the UDHR was created and designed by is partnership between Yacine Ait Kaci (YAK), French digital artist who created the character “Elyx”, the UN Regional information Centre (UNRIC) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – Regional Office for Europe (OHCHR).
Note:
Eleanor Roosevelt, first lady of United States of America (1933 to 1945) was the chairperson of the UDHR drafting committee
Other women in the committee:
Hansa Mehta of India, Begum Shaista Ikramullah of Pakistan, Lakshmi Menon of India, Minerva Bernardino of Dominican Republic, Bodil Begtrup, Marie-hélène Lefaucheux and Evdokia Uralova.
UN’s Call to Action:
The UN’s call to Action “Stand Up for Human rights”, aims to engage the general public, its partners and other UN bodies to enhance the transformative actions and showcase the practical and inspirational examples that contribute to recovering better and fostering more resilient and just societies.
Human rights & SDGs:
i.Human rights is the vital part of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).
ii.Human rights are steered by the progress of all the SDGs and the SDGs are driven by the advancements on human rights.
Effects of COVID-19 on Human rights:
i.COVID-19 crisis has fueled by the structural discrimination and racism.
ii.The COVID-19 poses a risk to people deprived of their liberty and others who are in contact with them.
iii.Various rights like freedom of expression, movement, assembly and association, the right to privacy and non-discrimination were violated in the response of COVID-19.
Endeavor of UN to put Human rights at the center of Post COVID-19 world:
The UN states that the measures to close the gaps in human rights protection will ensure the complete recovery and build back a world that is better, more resilient, just, and sustainable.
- End discrimination of any kind, equality and non-discrimination are the vital requremnets for the post COVID-19 world.
- Promote and protect economic, social and cultural rights.
- Encourage participation and solidarity.
- Promote sustainable development
About United Nations General Assembly:
President- Volkan Bozkir
Headquarters– New York, United States of America
