The Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrines fundamental rights that people everywhere are born with and can never give up or be taken away from them. These rights – civil, political, economic, social and cultural – are inalienable and indivisible. Moreover, they are interdependent and interrelated. The realization of one right may often depend on the fulfilment of other rights, for example, the right to health or the right to education.
However, human rights are still denied by some governments and are not respected by others. Amongst the most serious violations are: discrimination based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability; persecution of political, religious and other minorities; and the systematic killing of civilians in armed conflict. Other abuses include arbitrary arrest, torture and enforced disappearance; the systematic exploitation of children; and censorship or suppression of free speech.
In 2023, we witnessed many examples of human rights backsliding — but also shining successes involving individuals and institutions fighting courageously for their rights. In the fight for justice, we must continue to build on these fragile achievements and ensure that the principle of respect for human rights is not sacrificed in transactional diplomacy for short-term trade or security gains.
The United Nations is the guardian of these rights and has a role to play in strengthening them. It does so through its system of treaties, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the work of the UN Human Rights Council and its 47 members, as well as through 46 thematic and 14 country mandates for independent experts.
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