Okeil: The implementation of human rights is not a luxury, but a basis for achieving development and combating the forces of violent extremism

 Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December - the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration, which consists of a preamble and 30 articles, defines a wide range of human rights and fundamental freedoms without any discrimination on the basis of nationality, place of residence, gender, national origin, ethnicity, religion, language, or other status.

The United Nations celebrates the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2023. On this occasion, Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights launches the one-year 30 x 50 campaign, with the aim of raising awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its importance. The campaign highlights the human rights contained in the 30 articles included in the Universal Declaration throughout 50 weeks. Driven by our belief in the role of civil society organizations in raising awareness, as well as spreading and promoting a culture of human rights, Maat hopes, through this Campaign, to enhance knowledge of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a basic blueprint that guides practical actions aimed at defending human rights and addressing urgent global issues in our world today.

During its celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations will focus on three main goals. The first is "education" by increasing global knowledge and awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its importance for today and the future and shows how the Declaration guided the work of the United Nations on human rights. The second is "promoting the change of attitudes" by countering and reversing growing skepticism about human rights, emphasizing that human rights are never relative and must be upheld as uniting all humanity. The third goal is to "empower" by providing knowledge and concrete tools to help people better fight for their rights.

It is worth noting that this year's Human Rights Day slogan is “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All” and the call to action is #StandUp4HumanRights. In its preamble, the UDHR highlighted the “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”

In this context, the international human rights expert and president of Maat, Ayman Okeil, stated that celebrating International Human Rights Day every year stresses the importance of respecting human rights, and motivates people to build a world that promotes, respects, and protects human rights. Okeil said that the coming year will witness a remarkable event, which is the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He added that although the Declaration is not a binding document, it was an inspiration for the preparation of more than 60 human rights instruments, which together constitute an international standard for human rights. Okeil called for the need to respect the values established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which inspired conventions, protocols, and other human rights-related declarations, stressing that the implementation of human rights is not a luxury, but rather a basis for building democratic societies, and a basis for achieving development in all fields, which is the most important way to combat violent extremism.

Finally, Maat hopes, on this occasion, that governments and other actors in the field of human rights will exert greater efforts in spreading awareness of the values and rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in order to enable everyone to understand the values of human rights, since respect, promotion and protection of human rights begin with full awareness and the existence of a strong will.