Credit: UN/OHCHR
The universal reach of human rights should not be restricted to one day alone but extended to every day of the year, top United Nations officials declared today as they marked Human Rights Day – an annual UN-backed event commemorating the date on which the General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Spearheaded by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), this year's observance – celebrated under the banner of Human Rights 365 – encompasses the idea that “every day is Human Rights Day” and that “each one of us, everywhere, at all times is entitled to the full range of human rights.”
We declare that human rights are for all of us, all the time: whoever we are and wherever we are from; no matter our class, our opinions, our sexual orientation.
“On Human Rights Day we speak out,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proclaimed in his message. “We declare that human rights are for all of us, all the time: whoever we are and wherever we are from; no matter our class, our opinions, our sexual orientation.”
Two years ago on December 12, the United Nations unanimously endorsed a resolution urging governments to ensure universal access to health care without financial hardship. This landmark commitment affirmed the right of every person to have the opportunity for the highest standard of health; the responsibility of governments to urgently scale up universal access; and the promise of health for all to create a fairer, more resilient society.
The World YWCA has joined some 160 global partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), OXFAM, The World Bank Group and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to launch the first-ever Universal Health Coverage Day, to take place on December 12, 2014.
Some of the key messages put forward:
- no one should go bankrupt when they get sick (1/3 of households in Africa and Southeast Asia borrow money or sell assets to pay for health care)
- universal health coverage is attainable (70 + countries, including 30 of the world’s poorest, have passed laws toward UHC)
- universal health coverage can help stop the world’s biggest killers (The poorest and most marginalised populations bear the brunt of preventable maternal deaths and diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases)
- health transforms communities, economies and nations (Every $1 invested in health can produce $9-$20 in full-income growth by 2035)
- health is a right, not a privilege (the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental human right).
Photo: World Bank/Celine Ferre
Millions of elderly people report significant abuse each month, “an important public health problem” expected to increase in many countries as the number of people aged 60 and older is forecasted to reach about 1.2 billion by the year 2025, the World Health Organization reported today.
“Abusive acts in institutions include physically restraining patients, depriving them of dignity (by for instance leaving them in soiled clothes) and choice over daily affairs, intentionally providing insufficient care (such as allowing them to develop pressure sores), over- and under-medicating and withholding medication from patients; and emotional neglect and abuse,” WHO said in a fact sheet released today.
“While there is little information regarding the extent of abuse in elderly populations, especially in developing countries, it is estimated that 4-6 per cent of elderly people report significant abuse in the last month,” according to the UN health agency.
Women’s sexual and reproductive health is related to multiple human rights, including the right to life, the right to be free from torture, the right to health, the right to privacy, the right to education, and the prohibition of discrimination. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) have both clearly indicated that women’s right to health includes their sexual and reproductive health. This means that States have obligations to respect, protect and fulfill rights related to women’s sexual and reproductive health. The Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health maintains that women are entitled to reproductive health care services, goods and facilities that are: (a) available in adequate numbers; (b) accessible physically and economically; (c) accessible without discrimination; and (d) of good quality [see report A/61/338.
Despite these obligations, violations of women’s sexual and reproductive health rights are frequent. These take many forms including denial of access to services that only women require, or poor quality services, subjecting women’s access to services to third party authorization, and performance of procedures related to women’s reproductive and sexual health without the woman’s consent, including forced sterilization, forced virginity examinations, and forced abortion. Women’s sexual and reproductive health rights are also at risk when they are subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriage.
Internet Freedom – Map: Green – Free, Orange – Partly Free, Red – Not Free
Freedom House says internet freedom around the world has deteriorated for the fourth consecutive year, with the steepest declines in Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey.
In its "Freedom On The Net 2014" report, released on December 4, Freedom House says that Iran, Syria, and China are the world's worst abusers of overall Internet freedom.
The report, which covers the period between May 2013 and May 2014, assesses the level of Internet and digital-media freedom in 65 countries, with each receiving a score from 0 for the most free to 100 for the least free.
It says that of the 65 countries assessed, 36 have experienced negative trends since May 2013.
Based on the scores, the report ranks countries as free (0-30 points), partly free (31-60 points), or not free (61-100 points).
Of the countries in RFE/RL's broadcast area that are covered by the report, only two are ranked as free: Georgia, with 26 points; and Armenia, with 28 points.
