UN Human Rights Report 2023
HUMAN RIGHTS, 22 Jul 2024
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - TRANSCEND Media Service
Foreword by Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
As I reflect on 2023, a milestone anniversary year for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the impression remains of a year battered by multiple, intersecting crises, refusing to release their grip. The triple planetary crisis, shocking inequalities, corrosive polarization, the increasing risks posed by the ungoverned frontiers of digital technology, and a merciless wave of new and worsening conflicts. None of this, in any way, inevitable, and often the result of choices, made in the interests of the short term, or with a catastrophic failure of empathy.
But in the midst of this were many glimmers of hope. Less visible, but advances nevertheless on human rights, that were achieved in this inhospitable context. Each representing lives transformed, and a reminder that the foundational importance of human rights is never more apparent than in times of stress and uncertainty.
And so, I continue to be immensely proud of and inspired by the dedication of our 1,963 staff across 95 field presences and at headquarters who work tirelessly towards the goal of a fairer, more peaceful and sustainable world, often alongside the most vulnerable and marginalized, as well as human rights defenders of great courage. This annual report sets out our achievements. I highlight a few as an illustration of my Office’s impact.
Last year, OHCHR’s advocacy contributed to the release of over 13,000 detainees. Our two humanitarian funds provided assistance and rehabilitation support to 59,500 survivors of torture and 12,100 survivors of contemporary forms of slavery.
In places devastated by conflict and insecurity, from Haiti to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, and Ukraine, our human rights monitoring shed much needed light on the true scale and nature of human suffering. This painstaking work of investigating and documenting, often carried out under extremely difficult conditions, supported humanitarian and peace efforts. It also contributed to advocacy and interventions aimed at ending the increasingly prevalent violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, while laying the necessary groundwork for accountability.
TO CONTINUE READING FULL REPORT DOWNLOAD PDF FILE
Tags: Human Rights, UN Human Rights Council, United Nations
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 22 Jul 2024.
Anticopyright: Editorials and articles originated on TMS may be freely reprinted, disseminated, translated and used as background material, provided an acknowledgement and link to the source, TMS: UN Human Rights Report 2023, is included. Thank you.
If you enjoyed this article, please donate to TMS to join the growing list of TMS Supporters.
This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.
Join the discussion!
We welcome debate and dissent, but personal — ad hominem — attacks (on authors, other users or any individual), abuse and defamatory language will not be tolerated. Nor will we tolerate attempts to deliberately disrupt discussions. We aim to maintain an inviting space to focus on intelligent interactions and debates.