At the initiative of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, the European Parliament holds a High-Level Conference on the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Conference will bring together representatives from international and regional human rights organisations, members of national parliaments of EU member states, international and local civil society organisations, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, young voices from around the world as well as MEPs and chairs of Parliament’s committees to address human rights challenges. Extracts from the High Level Conference with the participation of Roberta METSOLA, EP President.

Brussels

conference

statement

Subcommittee on Human Rights

EU - United Nations (T)

Human rights (T2)

McALLISTER, David (EPP, DE)

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

BULLMANN, Udo (S&D, DE)

United Nations (7606)

president's agenda

MATVIYCHUK, Oleksandra

RESSA, Maria

75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: extracts from the High Level Conference with the participation of Roberta METSOLA, EP President

Title: 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: extracts from the High Level Conference with the participation of Roberta METSOLA, EP President (EbS)

Arrivals of Udo BULLMANN (S&amp;D, DE), Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, and Roberta METSOLA, EP President (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, As we reflect on these 75 years, let us not forget today how far we have come. The adoption of the Universal Declaration in 1948 truly marked a turning point in the history of humanity.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, The Universal Declaration stands as a fundamental pillar of the international system. It is a crucial reference point in dialogues between citizens, nations, and states to organise an increasingly interdependent, but also an increasingly more uncertain, world. Armed conflicts, oppression, terrorism, poverty, inequality, exclusion, and discrimination are still a reality for too many people, including on the European continent.

SOUNDBITE (English), Udo BULLMANN (S&amp;D, DE), Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, Human rights are the expression of those traditions of tolerance in all religions and cultures that are the basis of peace and progress. Human rights are foreign to no culture and native to all nations. Yes, colleagues, we cannot treat human rights like a menu in a restaurant and pick and choose what we like. There is no hierarchy among human rights.

Arrival of Jutta URPILAINEN, European Commissioner for International Partnerships

SOUNDBITE (English), Udo BULLMANN (S&amp;D, DE), Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights,

SOUNDBITE (English), Jutta URPILAINEN, European Commissioner for International Partnerships

SOUNDBITE (Russian), Dmitrij MURATOV, Russian Journalist and Nobel Prize Laureate 2021, Tell me! Can we talk about human rights when the war is ranging? Can we talk about human rights for millions of refugees and hundreds of thousands of dead bodies are littering our countries? I am sure that we must discuss human rights during the war. Let's remember Article 3 of this declaration. This is the principle backbone of the Declaration. Every one of us has the right to life.

SOUNDBITE (English), Oleksandra MATVIYCHUK, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2022, I am a human rights lawyer and I have been applying the law to defend people. And at present I and other Ukrainian human rights colleagues are doing our job in the circumstances when the law doesn't work. We can just document how and forcibly deported them to Russia, to eradicate them as Russians. They have been killing, raping, robbing people in the occupied territories. First. Freedom and democracy must be protected.