UDHR75: Time to renew commitments to the UN’s human rights mechanisms and bodies – Oral statement to HRC52

Seventy-five years ago, the United Nations set out a vision for a set of universal human rights principles shared across countries and cultures: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Based on this foundation, in the last 75 years, the international community has agreed on a comprehensive international human rights law framework and continues to create a growing set of mechanisms and bodies to support states in protecting human rights. Commemoration efforts by member states should fully acknowledge this advancement and strongly condemn and counter any efforts to turn the clock back on this progress.

The 75th anniversary of the UDHR provides an opportunity to reflect on, and reinvigorate and recommit to these founding principles. The anniversary should not only be an occasion for a celebration of these principles but also be an opportunity for concrete action to address the many outstanding challenges that remain in fully realizing the values that underpin the UDHR.

This statement to HRC52 calls on member states cooperate with the human rights mechanisms and to ensure adequate and sustainable funding for the UN’s human rights mechanisms and bodies as a matter of urgency.

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