The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Botchwey, has issued a statement for Human Rights Day, observed on 10 December.
Today, the Commonwealth joins the international community in marking Human Rights Day – a moment to reaffirm that human rights transcend aspiration and stand as the everyday essentials to which every person across our Commonwealth is inherently entitled.
The full enjoyment of human rights is the bedrock of democracy, good governance, and sustainable development. Protecting these rights is an affirmation of human dignity and the equal worth of each human being. It sets the standards for strengthening accountability, transparency, and trust – the very elements that sustain resilient societies and animate the values our Commonwealth was built to uphold.
On this day, we recall the extraordinary foresight of the framers of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as we grapple with the mounting threats to human rights in these turbulent times. Unilateralism, conflict, climate change, and natural disasters are inflicting deep and lasting harm. We see increasing pressure on civic space, on gender equality, and on the institutions and processes that safeguard democratic integrity – including free and fair elections and adherence to the rule of law. Protecting human rights is essential in helping us to withstand these shocks and ensure that every person in the Commonwealth can live with dignity and contribute to shaping our shared future.
It is often the most marginalised and vulnerable who bear the heaviest burden of the challenges we face. Their experiences must remain a constant reminder that inclusivity is not optional – it is essential.
Our shared commitment to respecting, protecting, and promoting human rights is enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter and has been consistently reinforced by Commonwealth Heads of Government.
The Charter, and our Leaders’ resolutions, affirm that human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent, and interrelated – and that they form the foundations of peaceful, just, and stable societies.
As we navigate an era of rapid change, human rights will remain central to the work of the Commonwealth Secretariat. They will guide our responses to enduring challenges and to emerging ones – including the opportunities and risks of the digital age. Rights must be lived and felt, not merely promised. And the pace of global change compels us to act decisively to defend them in every sphere of life.
On this Human Rights Day, we renew our resolve and our shared commitment to the ideals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Commonwealth Charter. We remain steadfast in our determination to ensure that all 2.7 billion people across our Commonwealth can fully enjoy their rights and freedoms.
Together, we will continue to champion human rights as the everyday essentials that unite and strengthen our Commonwealth family – today, and for generations to come.
