Sixty years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, the United Nations will be launching a yearlong campaign under the theme “Dignity and Justice for All of Us” as a mark to celebrate another anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is significant not just because the community of states and nations has failed to live up to the universal declaration made against all odds in recognition that “fundamental rights and freedoms are inalienable and inherent to all human beings, that every one of us is born free and equal,” but more so because the promise of dignity and justice is far from being realized for everyone, not just those caught in war and conflict situations but even those living in perceived peaceful democracies.
The key components of justice such non-discrimination, equality and fairness are often missing even in the most liberal and open societies. Under the aegis of this global campaign, everyone has a role to ensure that the demand for ‘dignity and justice for all of us’ leads to an action that exposes and demolishes all forms of injustice and cruelty in any system including Governance and social interactions.
‘Good’ Governance is tested by the degree to which public institutions that manages public affairs and resources deliver the promise of human rights: civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. The key challenge in this campaign would be to ensure that the institutions of governance everywhere in the world are effectively guaranteeing the right to health, adequate housing, sufficient food, quality education, fair justice and personal security. These are basic human rights that guarantee a dignified and secured life but often due to corruption and poor governance, these rights are severely violated.
The key attributes of good governance such as transparency, responsibility, accountability, participation and responsiveness (to the needs of the people) must be put in placed into the system in order to create an enabling environment conducive to the realization and enjoyment of human rights. To this need, every member of the society has a role to play. We often demand that our government should be transparent and accountable but do we ever demand that they give an account to us about the resources meant to give a ‘dignified life to all’ that have been put at their disposal?
Eradication of poverty, promoting full and productive employment, fostering social integration and political rights, freedom from threats and intimidations and most importantly exercising the choice of governance is central in ensuring a stable, safe and just society for all. Without these elements ‘Dignity and Justice for all of us’ would continue to remain a distant dream.
The world is facing an unprecedented challenge with Climate Change. Climate change is far from being just an ecological issue; it is also an issue of equity. Yes, it is indeed an issue of Global injustice and likewise, environmental degradation and human suffering are inter-connected. It is a matter of common understanding that Sustainable environmental governance is intrinsically related to the fulfillment of human rights, because it is directly related to issues of equity and responsible management of resources.
Unfortunately, human rights violations and environmental degradation have often been treated by most organizations and governments as unrelated issues. Just as human rights advocates have tended to place only civil and political rights onto their agendas, environmentalists have tended to focus primarily on natural resource preservation without addressing human impacts of environmental abuse. As a result, victims of environmental degradation are unprotected by the laws and mechanisms established to address human rights abuses.
This trend shows that there is a grave need for humanity to come together in one platform, with a united and inclusive focus and perhaps this theme ‘Dignity and Justice for All of us’ is the way to go.
