60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Today marks the 60th anniversary celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the foundations of international human rights law. The UN General Assembly adopted and proclaimed the Declaration by Resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948. The 30 articles signify the “common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations” with respect to a bundle of human rights: civil, cultural, economic, political, and social. Individuals have the right to be free from discrimination (art. 2) slavery (4), and torture (5) and to the affirmative rights of equal protection (7), gender equality (16), freedom of thought (18), freedom of expression (19), peaceful assembly (20), participation in government (21), and economic and social rights (22-27). The Declaration recognizes that these fundamental rights belong to each individual and are not bestowed upon them by any sovereign power. The sovereign has a responsibility to uphold and protect these individual rights. At the time of its adoption, the Declaration was non-binding on the U.N. member states. Many provisions, however, have become legally binding under customary international law and through codification in international treaties, state constitutions, and domestic laws.
United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights for 2008
At the UN today, the General Assembly awarded the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights for 2008 to the following individuals and organizations in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms:
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 Photo linked from OHCHR. |
Louise Arbour Louise Arbour, a Canadian national, served as the Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR) from 1996 to 1999. She was responsible for the first indictment in history of a sitting head of state, then-President of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic. She resigned to take up an appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada. She previously held the positions of Associate Professor and Associate Dean at the Osgood Hall Law School of York University in Toronto, Canada, in 1987. In December of 1987, she was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ontario (High Court of Justice) and in 1990 she was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. In 1995, Ms. Arbour was appointed by Order-in-Council as single Commissioner to conduct an inquiry into certain events at the Prisons for Women in Kingston, Ontario. Ms. Arbour graduated from College Regina Assumpta, Montreal in 1967 and completed an LL.L (with distinction) from the Faculty of Law, University of Montreal in 1970. Following the Quebec Bar Admission Course, she was called to the Quebec Bar in 1971 and the Ontario Bar in 1977. |
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| No Photo Available | Ramsey Clark Ramsey Clark served as the defense attorney in the criminal trials of Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam Hussein. He formerly served as the 66th U.S. Attorney General under President Lyndon B. Johnson. He is recognized for his role in with ensuring human rights and fair judicial process, in accordance with international standards. He earned his B.A. degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1949 and an M.A. and a J.D. from the University of Chicago in 1950. He was admitted to the Texas bar in 1951, and to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States in 1956. From 1951 to 1961 Clark was an associate and partner in the law firm of Clark, Reed and Clark. He served in the Department of Justice as Assistant Attorney General of the Lands Division from 1961 to 1965, and as Deputy Attorney General from 1965 to 1967. |
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 U.S. Ambassador, Brenda LaGrange-Johnson (left) speaks with Dr. Carolyn Gomes (Right), Executive Director, Jamaicans for Justice Photo linked from U.S. Embassy in Jamaica |
Dr. Carolyn Gomes Dr. Carolyn Gomes is the Executive Director of Jamaicans for Justice, a human rights advocacy organization in Jamaica. She says the gas riots in 1999 changed her life and brought about a career change. As Executive Director, she was instrumental in bringing the case of Michael Gayle before The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Mr. Gayle was a mentally impaired man killed by police and soldiers in 1999. In 2001, under her leadership, JFJ members conducted street protests to bring awareness of seven males killed by police in the the Braeton incident. She previously worked as a doctor since 1980 and as a pediatrician since 1988. She earned her M.D. from the University of the West Indies in 1980. She worked as Senior Resident in casualty at Bustamante Hospital for Children before entering private practice. |
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 Photo linked from Panzi Hospital |
Dr. Denis Mukwege Dr Denis Mukwege co-founded and operates the General Referral Hospital of Panzi, in Bukavu, South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. During the first civil war of the DRC in 1996, his prior hospital, the Hospital of Lemera, was completely destroyed. He responded to the need to re-establish medical facilities to help women during childbirth. Further, he created specialized services for victims of sexual violence. See the Hospital’s website: PanziHospitalBukavu.org. He studied medicine in Burundi and gynecology/obstetrics at the CHU of Angers in France. He is the third of nine children and the son of a pastor. |
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HRW.orgNo photo available. |
Human Rights Watch HRW is one of the leading human rights organizations worldwide. It is recognized for its major role in campaigns for the establishment of the International Criminal Court, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and more recently the Coalition to ban cluster munitions. Human Rights Watch began in 1978 with the creation of Helsinki Watch, designed to support the citizens groups formed throughout the Soviet bloc to monitor government compliance with the 1975 Helsinki Accords. The organization adopted the all-inclusive name of “Human Rights Watch” in 1988. As an independent, nongovernmental organization, it is supported by contributions from private individuals and foundations worldwide. HRW accepts no government funds, directly or indirectly. |
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 Photo linked from Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, Ohio Province |
Sister Dorothy Stang (awarded posthumously) Sister Dorothy “Dot” Stang, from the United States and a citizen of Brazil, defended the rights of the poor, landless and indigenous populations of the Anapu region of Brazil for nearly forty years. She was murdered while walking down a dirt road in 2005, a week after meeting with the country’s human rights officials about threats to local farmers from loggers and landowners. Five men have been suspected in her murder. In May 2008, a Brazilian court upheld a 28-year prison term by Rayfran das Neves Sales for murder and reversed the conviction of the second alleged perpetrator, Vitalmiro Bastos de Moura. Rayfran das Neves Sales may still appeal the judgment. Two other men have already been convicted in Sister Dorothy’s death and are serving sentences. A fifth man, Rancher Regivaldo Pereira Galvão, has been accused as the principal architect and co-financer of Sister Dorothy’s murder and awaits trial. In June 2004, Sister Dorothy was named “Woman of the Year” by the state of Para for her work in the Amazon region. In December 2004, she received the Humanitarian of the Year award from the Brazilian Bar Association for her work helping the local rural workers. In early 2005, she received an “Honorary Citizenship of the State” award from the state of Para. Donations to the Sister Dorothy Stang Fund continue her work in Brazil and fund continued development of educational aids. Sister Dorothy was a native of Dayton and belonged to the Ohio Province of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, which is headquartered in Cincinnati. See the Sister Dorothy Stang Fund. |
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Benazir Bhutto (awarded posthumously) She was Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1988 and 1993 and recognized here as an advocate for democracy and human rights. She was assassinated in 2007. |