Protecting
human rights is protecting human dignity
by H. TAHSİN FENDOĞLU*
Today, Dec. 10, we commemorate the 59th anniversary of
the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR)
at the United Nations General Assembly as Human Rights Day, which
represents a celebration of the outcome of a long struggle for
human dignity and honor.
The UDHR, adopted on Dec. 10, 1948, made specific references to
human rights, furthering the cause which started with the UN Charter.
The declaration adopted by the UN General Assembly was also endorsed
by our country on April 6, 1949. Dec. 10 is celebrated as the
commemoration of this historic moment to promote the protection
of human rights, raise awareness in the world and disseminate
the spirit and message of the declaration.
The UDHR represents a human rights ideal that all states agree
upon, reflecting the commonly held values of humanity and making
references to economic, social and cultural rights. The declaration,
which is morally binding on the states, declares that all humans
are entitled to a life based on equality, freedom and honor, regardless
of their gender, race, color, religion, language or wealth --
simply because they are human. Under the declaration, all enjoy
their inherent rights and freedoms without any prior conditions.
At
a number of other regional and international conventions, treaties
and declarations were adopted to address human rights issues following
the declaration; progress in the field culminated in the establishment
of international criminal tribunals vested with the authority
to prosecute the perpetrators of the most heinous crimes.
Today,
protection of human rights is no longer a domestic issue; it is
an issue that concerns the entire international community. Whereas
the states are primarily responsible for protection and promotion
of human rights, this task also requires close cooperation with
a number of other players, including civil society organizations.
For this reason, raising awareness among ordinary individuals
and civil society actors is vital for the effective promotion
of human rights.
The
fact that human rights, democracy and the rule of law are universal
principles which need to be promoted by all countries is fully
embraced in our country. A number of actions have been taken to
improve the living conditions in the country and to further progress
in the field of human rights. The transformation is particularly
important for achievement of a more peaceful, safe, wealthy, moral
and humane order.
It
should also be recalled that protection and promotion of human
rights is not something that threatens public security; quite
the contrary, it is the assurance of a peaceful and stable public
order.
I
hope that Human Rights Day will be taken as an opportunity to
raise public awareness on human rights issues and to promote them
in the media; with this in mind, we celebrate the Human Rights
Day of all.
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*Professor H. Tahsin Fendoğlu is the president for Human Rights
at the Office of the Prime Minister
10.12.2007 Kaynak: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=128989
