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Mr. President:
I am honoured to speak on behalf of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Sixty years ago, in the aftermath of the deaths of some 70 million people in the Second World War and the Holocaust, our predecessors came together to build a better world. They founded an institution to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war; to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom; and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations, large and small. And soon after, men and women of vision and goodwill laid the groundwork for the adoption, by the United Nations, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
This was an event with no historical precedent—the nations of the world embracing a global expression of the basic rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled, and a standard which all nations could adopt and against which they could be held to account. Canada, Australia and New Zealand played active roles in achieving this agreement. This landmark Declaration forms the cornerstone of the international human rights system and sixty years on, remains the global benchmark for the protection of human rights. It remains as relevant to every person in a world of over 6 billion today as it was to the 2.5 billion people in 1948.
The principle enshrined in the Universal Declaration, that all human beings have fundamental rights and freedoms, is concrete and remains undiminished today. Everyone is equal in dignity and rights. But the Declaration also speaks to our responsibilities wherever there is a violation of human rights against any person for any reason and in any part of the world. It transcends nations, cultures, politics, personalities, creed and tongue. Among our responsibilities is the need to act. It is not enough to promote these rights. They must also be actively protected and defended.
Yet despite the global benchmark provided in the Universal Declaration, sixty years on, discrimination and violations of human rights persist. There are still serious and overwhelming gaps between the universally endorsed standards and the practice of States in all regions of the world.
Mr. President, this anniversary provides an opportunity to acknowledge and address the gap between the universally agreed standards and everyday practice, as well as to renew our efforts and commitment to human rights in the United Nations. It is time to focus our collective resources on the full and effective implementation of the Universal Declaration and the subsequent human rights treaties which have been voluntarily adhered to by a very large number of members states .
In commemorating the Universal Declaration, we call on all States to redouble their efforts and engage with national, regional and multilateral institutions to reduce the gap between the agreed standards and the everyday reality faced by millions of people worldwide. We recognise the important potential of the UN Human Rights Council in this regard, and we have a responsibility to realize this potential to effectively support the implementation of human rights. We further salute human rights defenders around the world, many of whom are often persecuted in defending the rights of their fellow human beings.
Mr. President, sixty years after its adoption, the declaration remains the defining document on the protection of rights and freedoms in the history of humankind, and a necessary compass to navigate the challenges ahead of us. Today, Canada, Australia and New Zealand affirm again our strong commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and our resolve as nations, as governments and as peoples to work at home and with governments around the world towards the realisation of these rights for all.
