Stand Up for Human Rights

Sunday 10 December marked the 69th anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948. As the declaration enters its 70th year, the United Nations has started a year long campaign to remind the global community of the need to #StandUp4HumanRights.

The upcoming 70th anniversary of the proclamation is a timely opportunity to remind the Australian Government of the binding international commitments it has made to uphold human rights, particularly given its treatment of refugees and people seeking asylum on Manus Island and Nauru.

Australia was recently elected to the UN Human Rights Council, and will commence its three year term on 1 January 2018. The Human Rights Council has responsibility for “strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations”.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights underpins the system of laws, treaties and norms that govern the protection of human rights in the international community. The fundamental protections enshrined in the document include freedom of expression, the right to nationality, freedom from torture, freedom from arbitrary detention, the right to asylum and access to justice.

The United Nations is using the year leading up to the anniversary to raise awareness of what the declaration means in everyday life and as an opportunity for people to affirm their commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights.

You can find out more about the #StandUp4HumanRights campaign here. Join CAPSA to stay up to date with our ongoing advocacy on this issue and to ensure the Australian government leads by example in respecting and upholding its human rights obligations.