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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, October 27, 2008
AGBU Youth Delegation Attends Global UN Conference Dedicated to the
60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Paris, France ‘- Representing the largest Armenian non-profit in the
world, members of the AGBU Paris Youth Group and AGBU Young
Professionals of Paris recently participated in a major international
human rights conference sponsored by the United Nations Department of
Public Information/Non Governmental Organization (UN DPI/NGO) from
September 3-5, 2008 in Paris, France.
In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR), UN DPI/NGO held their 61st Annual Conference at the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) headquarters in Paris where the declaration was first
adopted. Participating on behalf of AGBU were Varti Donikian,
Yves-Armen Kantarci, Lilya Melkonian and Antranik Zekian.
Sixty years after the adoption of the UDHR, it is estimated that more
than half of today’s world population does not, in fact, enjoy basic
and universally accepted human rights and freedoms. Over the three-day
conference, some 1,200 participants representing NGOs from almost 90
countries engaged in round-table discussions, as well as midday
workshops and sessions, sharing their experiences on the ground and
presenting best practices in different areas of human rights
protection.
`You should not look to others for the results of the three days you
have spent here, just as you should not look to governments to tell
you how to work for human rights. You have created your own results,’
stated Shamina de Gonzaga, Chairwoman of the UN DPI/NGO Conference, in
her closing remarks.
The discussions covered a diverse number of topics, including
traditional human rights subjects such as extreme poverty and the
rights of the disabled, the mentally ill, minorities and homosexuals,
as well as topical human rights issues, such as the growing challenges
in the context of national efforts to address terrorism.
`The presentation summarized on a theoretical level the necessary
steps to allow for reconciliation after mass massacres or genocide,’
explained Kantarci who, along with Zekian, attended the round table on
`Reconciliation ï – Post-Conflict and Post-Genocide,’ which cited
recent atrocities in Bosnia and Rwanda as examples of conflict and
post-conflict resolution. `The whole reflection process was really
interesting and educational, especially for a young Armenian like me,
who is very involved in efforts to get the Armenian Genocide
recognized,’ Zekian said.
For a comprehensive collection of translations of the UDHR, please
visit For more information on the conference,
please visit
Established in October 2007, the AGBU-UN Special Interest Group
represents AGBU at the United Nations where it is committed to
promoting its mission of preserving and promoting the Armenian
identity and heritage. For more information about the group and its
work, please visit or email [email protected]. For
more information about AGBU and its other worldwide programs, please
visit