UN SECRETARY GENERAL’S MESSAGE ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

armradio.am
10.12.2009 13:36

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a message on Human Rights Day.

The message reads:

"No country is free of discrimination. We see it everywhere, in many
forms: old and new, covert and blatant, public and private. It may
appear as institutionalized racism, as ethnic strife, as episodes
of intolerance and rejection, or as an official national version of
history that denies the identity of others.

Discrimination targets individuals and groups that are vulnerable to
attack: the disabled, women and girls, the poor, migrants, minorities,
and all those who are perceived as different.

These vulnerable people are frequently excluded from participating
in the economic, political, cultural and social lives of their
communities. The bigotry that stigmatizes and excludes them can be
exploited by extremists. In some countries, we are witnessing the
rise of a new politics of xenophobia.

But these victims of discrimination are not alone. The United Nations
is standing with them, committed to defending the rights of all, and
particularly the most vulnerable. That is our identity and our mission.

The international human rights community continues to counter bias
and hatred. Public awareness has led to global treaties offering
legal protection from discrimination and unequal treatment.

But abstract commitments are not enough. We must continue to confront
inequality and intolerance wherever they are found.

On Human Rights Day, I invite people everywhere, at all levels, to
join the United Nations and human rights defenders around the world
in the fight against discrimination."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress