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On Human Rights Day, charities and civil society organisations from across the UK write to the Prime Minister and political leaders, calling on them to stand up for human rights and commit to meeting the UK’s national and international obligations.

Monday 9 December, 2024

On the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR)
have coordinated an open letter to the Prime Minister and political leaders, signed by over 70 organisations from across all four nations of the UK.




The letter, published on BIHR’s website, comes during the 75th
anniversary year of the Council of Europe – the organisation responsible for the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and of which the UK was a founding member. The letter recognises the formation of the Council of Europe and the ECHR as marking “a coming together of countries across Europe to solidify their commitment to the UDHR and to protecting universal human rights.”




It goes on to celebrate the ways this same spirit of coming together is echoed “not just on the international stage but in all the many communities that form the beating heart of the UK.” The signatories, among which are grassroots groups, UK-wide charities, policy organisations, legal firms and more, draw on everyday examples of human rights in action – such as in the cooperation between social worker and client or in family members’ advocacy on behalf of their loves ones.


The letter also emphasises the need for those in positions of public power to play their role in upholding human rights, whether through raising awareness or improving accountability. Together, the organisations “call on political leaders to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to its human rights obligations, both nationally and internationally, and to make their own commitments to supporting a culture of respect for human rights across the UK.”


Speaking on the release of the open letter, BIHR’s CEO, Sanchita Hosali, said:


“Human Rights Day is a moment for us to mark, not just the words on paper, but the actions made possible by our legal protections that empower people to drive forward real change in our towns, community centres, support groups, schools, housing, hospitals, care homes, refuges, social services and elsewhere. All the places where, to paraphrase the Universal Declaration's architect Eleanor Roosevelt, every one of us seeks equal justice, dignity, and respect.


Thankfully, this is the first Human Rights Day in several years we can mark without the threat of UK government policy to scrap our Human Rights Act, which built on the foundations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. There is much to celebrate; but there is still much to do. Today we're calling on the Prime Minister, on government, and political leaders to be clear; the protection of human rights is part of the fabric of the UK, and commit to making this real in people's lives. If we truly want to be a country where milestones focus on living standards, safety, education, healthcare and homes then we also need to be a country that truly champions people's human rights.”


-ENDS-


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