Upholding Human Dignity in the Face of Global Challenges!

Statement on World Human Rights Day 2023 –

On this momentous occasion of World Human Rights Day 2023, as we mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the 30th anniversary of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, we stand at a critical juncture in human history. The core ambition of the UDHR has been to foster equality, fundamental freedoms, and justice across societies. However, the reality starkly contrasts with this noble ambition. The international community faces a confluence of challenges that undermine the very essence of human rights, plunging nations and communities into unprecedented turmoil and suffering.

The ongoing Gaza genocide stands as a harrowing testament to the inefficiencies and failures of our global systems to protect fundamental human rights. The appalling toll of lives lost, the destruction of essential infrastructure, and the deliberate targeting of healthcare facilities, schools, refugee camps, and places of worship in Gaza exemplify a blatant disregard for international humanitarian law. The support and complicity of powerful nations in this tragic conflict underscore a distressing erosion of trust in the mechanisms designed to uphold human rights.

Simultaneously, the protracted crisis in Ukraine represents another distressing chapter in the annals of human rights violations with the unwanted intervention by the global powers and the West. The relentless violence, displacement of civilians, and humanitarian crises highlight the urgent need for collective action to safeguard the rights of affected populations in adherence to international law and conventions.

Amidst these heart-wrenching conflicts, numerous other nations, including Congo, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and 32 others, grapple with their unique crises. Civil wars, ethnic violence, terrorist insurgencies, and drug-related clashes ravage these lands, leaving behind scars of devastation and untold human suffering. These conflicts underscore the imperative of concerted international efforts to seek lasting peace and alleviate the plight of affected populations.

However, conflicts are not the sole challenges threatening human rights in the contemporary world. The persistent specter of pandemics exacerbates existing inequalities, with unequal access to vaccines and healthcare systems laying bare the fragility of human rights in the face of health crises. Moreover, exploding inequalities perpetuated by a morally bankrupt global financial system deepen disparities, while racism corrodes social fabrics, perpetuating discrimination and intolerance.

Climate change emerges as a defining crisis of our era, threatening not only the environment but also the most fundamental human rights including the right to life and a sustainable future. the current global landscape exemplifies a distressing reality where the noble aspirations of human rights protection have been hijacked by power politics, capitalist pursuits, and the manipulative stranglehold of a select group of nations. To restore the integrity of global human rights mechanisms, it is imperative to challenge these systemic flaws and restore the primacy of human dignity and justice as the cornerstone of global governance. These multifaceted challenges strain the boundaries of international law, demanding a reinvigorated commitment to upholding human rights as the cornerstone of a People-centric new world order.

In the context of Sri Lanka, the economic crisis exacerbates existing human rights concerns. The erosion of civil liberties and economic hardships faced by its people underscore the urgent need for a rights-based approach to address the prevailing economic and non-democratic governing crisis.

For 75 years, the UDHR has stood as a beacon of hope for global justice and equality. Yet, the impact of these principles remains inadequate on the ground and the people’s focus. The Gaza genocide, with its catastrophic humanitarian consequences, must serve as a clarion call for a new, people-centric world order. one that reaffirms trust in human rights and global governance.

As we reflect on the challenges faced by humanity on this World Human Rights Day, let us recommit ourselves to the values enshrined in the human rights framework. Let us strive for a world where the rights of every individual are protected, where conflicts yield to peace, inequalities diminish, and justice prevails as an unwavering force for good.