Today we celebrate
Human Rights Day. This annual event was established in 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly to honour its adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and raise awareness of a new “common standard of achievement” for people across the world. The UDHR sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that we are all entitled to as humans, without discrimination. It has provided the foundation from which our modern human rights laws have since been built.
This year also marks the 60
th anniversary of the European Convention of Human Rights coming into force, as well as being the 20
th anniversary of the Vienna World Conference in 1993 which brought about renewed efforts around the world to promote and protect human rights.
So, plenty of human rights birthdays to celebrate - and celebrate we should. Since the adoption of the UDHR we have seen significant development of human rights law across many parts of the world.
However, for all the supposed protection that these high level laws provide us with, when we come back down to earth and see how this is playing out in everyday life we find that all is certainly not rosy.
As we know only too well in the third sector, the reality today for many is still one of poverty, discrimination and increasing inequality. Basic human rights, like our rights to an adequate standard of living and housing, are being increasingly trodden on in a hostile climate of austerity and welfare destruction.
No pressure then for today’s launch of
Scotland’s first National Action Plan for Human Rights (SNAP). Led by the Scottish Human Rights Commission, but in partnership with a range of stakeholders from across public life and civil society, including SCVO, this new initiative has a simple but challenging vision: for a Scotland where everyone is able to live with human dignity.
To achieve this SNAP plans to coordinate action from across the public, private and third sectors to achieve the actual realisation of the internationally recognised human rights that we are all entitled to.
So what does this mean for Scotland’s third sector? We certainly have a long-term and established role as part of a human rights movement in Scotland. Whether we’re supporting our communities, fighting injustices, or campaigning for a better way of doing things, human rights are what we’re dealing with everyday, even if we don’t always describe it in these terms. I think we have a lot to contribute and I encourage you to take a look at what SNAP is trying to achieve, consider how it relates to your work, and do what you can to get involved.
How successful SNAP will be remains to be seen. It is an ambitious and challenging initiative. However, I for one feel it is a cause well worth our sector’s support.
Last modified on 23 January 2020
