On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, December 10, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kalas, stressed that the EU remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding human rights "at home and abroad" to ensure peace, truth, justice and accountability.
The EU reiterates its unwavering support for the United Nations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and all its partners around the world in calling on states to uphold and fulfill their human rights obligations, said Kallas on behalf of the EU, in a statement issued on this occasion.
She recalled that 2025 also marks the 25th anniversary of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
"Today we celebrate the many individuals whose daily actions make these rights a reality. Their stories remind us that progress is not made only in courtrooms or parliaments, but that it happens when ordinary people choose empathy over indifference, honesty over convenience, courage over silence, dignity over division," she wrote.
Kalas emphasized that human rights are not just legal obligations enshrined in international conventions, but are lived out and often challenged in the routines of everyday life in classrooms, workplaces, public services and other spaces. She emphasized that human rights protect how we express ourselves, pray, love and participate in our communities every day and that they belong to everyone, everywhere.
"Together, we face growing pressures from disinformation and democratic erosion to discrimination, inequality and the horrific consequences of war. In many parts of the world, not least in Ukraine and elsewhere in the EU's neighbourhood, millions of civilians are struggling to survive in the face of aggression," Kalas stressed, pointing out that in these moments, the promise of daily respect for human rights becomes increasingly vital.
This reminds us, added Kalas, that human rights do not sustain themselves, that they require constant attention, courage, solidarity and support.
"Supporting human rights is the duty of all states, allowing each of us to implement them through the actions we take, the decisions we make, and the respect we show others. Let us value the universal rights that protect us and defend the rights that protect others. And let us continue to build a world in which human rights are lived every day and enjoyed by all," wrote Kallas.
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