ALLIANCE signs joint Human Rights Day 2024 letter
- Area of Work: Policy and Research
- Type: News Item
- Published: 10th December 2024
ALLIANCE signs joint letter calling on political leaders to reaffirm UK commitment to human rights obligations on Human Rights Day 2024.
The 10th December is Human Rights Day. It is an annual celebration of the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe, of which the UK was a founding member, and is the organisation responsible for the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The formation of the Council of Europe and ECHR marked a coming together of countries, and communities, to uphold universal human rights.
In a joint letter, coordinated by the British Institute for Human Rights (BIHR), the ALLIANCE agrees that to fully realise our human rights, there are many actions that still need to be taken and duties met by those in public power. For example, it was recently found that there has been a failure in upholding basic economic, social and cultural rights in the Highlands and Islands.
Along with over 70 other organisations from across the UK, we are calling on politicians to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to its national and international human rights obligations. We also urge them to make their own commitment to supporting a culture of respect for human rights in all 4 nations. This has become an even more prominent issue in Scotland since the Scottish Government took the disappointing decision to delay the introduction of the Scottish Human Rights Bill.
The theme for Human Rights Day 2024 is “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now”. Human rights impact everyone, every day and in this campaign, the aim is to show the tangible impact of human rights by focusing on relevant global issues, showcasing impact, successes and practical solutions.
Read the joint letter in full here. There is also an Easy Read version of the letter and a video version of the letter.
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