Press Release
Published on December 9, 2011
Washington, D.C. – Tomorrow, as the world pauses to recognize Human Rights Days and mark the 63rd anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights First President and CEO Elisa Massimino issued the following statement: “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was born out of the horrors of the Holocaust, and codified a belief antithetical to it: that all people are equal in dignity and rights. No one should be persecuted because of who they are or what they believe. This year, we’ve seen the continuing relevance of the Declaration as decades-long repressive regimes came crumbling down, felled by the force of people demanding freedom all over the Middle East. We have seen the United States and its international allies work to expand universal human rights to oppressed groups, including the LGBT community and religious minorities. But even as we celebrate these victories, we recognize that the work is far from over and that grave human rights abuses persist around the world. If the United States is to play a role in securing dignity and freedom for all, we must lead by example and make the protection of human rights our priority as a nation. The tenets of the Declaration of Human Rights must be a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy.”
