Year-long Campaign Leading up to Celebration of Sixtieth Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights Launched10 December 2007.
The United Nations Office at Geneva today celebrated Human Rights Day, commemorating the fifty-ninth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and launching a year-long campaign leading up to the sixtieth anniversary. The event heard a video message from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and statements by High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva Sergei Ordzhonikidze, President of the Human Rights Council Doru Romulus Costea, and national representatives.
In the video message, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the Declaration remained as relevant today as it did on the day it was adopted. But the fundamental freedoms enshrined in it were still not a reality for everyone. Too often, Governments lacked the political will to implement international norms they had willingly accepted. This anniversary year was an occasion to build up that will. It was a chance to ensure that these rights were a living reality — that they were known, understood and enjoyed by everyone, everywhere. The Declaration should be an integral part of everybody’s life.
Click on the links for more information:
http://www.ohchr.org
http://www.knowyourrights2008.org