Embassy of the United States Serbia

December 10, 2011

Human Rights Day

Around the world, December 10 is celebrated as International Human Rights Day. It was on this day in 1948 that the member states of the United Nations approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights without any opposing votes. Made up of eighteen states, the Human Rights Commission's first task was to agree on a set of rights that all people, irrespective of national origin, possessed as a common birthright of humanity. The process was difficult. Representatives from Eastern and Western Europe had dramatically different views, as did those from Asia and the Middle East. Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the most influential women of her time, represented the United States. Belgrade-native Vladislav Ribnikar represented Yugoslavia. As time passed, two distinct camps emerged. Roosevelt argued that the issue of human rights was fundamentally about protecting the individual from the state. Ribnikar, however, said that "personal liberty could only be attained through perfect harmony between the individual and the community." After nearly two years of negotiation the gap was bridged, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted.

The Preamble of that document invites states to "promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance." All of us can do more to promote human rights. In the United States, we recognize that the protection of Human Rights is not a finish line you cross but rather a continual process of protecting rights and preserving freedoms. Our own human rights record is a topic debated daily in newspapers and other public fora throughout the country.

In that spirit, as we commemorate Human Rights Day, it's important to look at the world around us and the communities in which we live with an eye toward liberty and justice. What can each of us do as individuals and citizens to advocate for persons with disabilities, for example, who often face unnecessary legal, economic, and logistical hardships? What can be done to support journalists who are sometimes mistreated simply for reporting unpopular truths? What steps can be taken to ensure that non-traditional religious faiths do not face discrimination?. What can we do to promote tolerance and secure guarantees of freedom of speech and assembly for members of the LGBT community ? And what steps can be taken to support the ability of Roma and displaced people from Kosovo and elsewhere to acquire the documentation they need to access basic services and fundamental rights such as voting? And to bring to justice those who exploit and benefit from the trafficking of women and children?

All of these issues are challenging and complex, but they represent just some of the many areas that deserve and demand our attention. There is much unfinished business that must be accomplished to promote tolerance, respect and equality for all people in every country around the world, including in Serbia. . Take a moment to read the Universal Declaration and decide whether you think its standards are being met. If things can be improved, I encourage you to work to that end.

Sixty years ago, Roosevelt and Ribnikar worked together, in concert with many other nations, to create the Universal Declaration. Today, the United States stands ready, along with others in the international community, to work with Serbia to improve the rights of people both here and throughout the world. I wish you a happy Human Rights Day.