(ANS - Madrid) - Today we commemorate the day when, in 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1950 all States and organizations were invited to celebrate Human Rights Day on 10 December of each year. However, even after 67 years, the implementation of these rights is still far away for most of the world's population, mainly because of war and poverty.

This year the day is dedicated to the launch of a year-long campaign to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the two international covenants on human rights: the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which were adopted by the UN General Assembly on 16 December 1966.

Human rights are a universal and inviolable guarantee to safeguard the dignity of people "without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, wealth, birth or other status." (Article 2 of the Universal Declaration).

Wars, terrorism, poverty, injustice and inequality, however, still render millions of persons un-protected in the five continents.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights means progress for humanity and the common ideal to which all peoples and all nations must strive. Unfortunately, there is still too much to be done to ensure that it becomes a reality in the world.

Over 800 million people suffer from hunger in the world. The war in Syria has lasted for nearly five years.  Violence marks the Central African Republic, Yemen and South Sudan.  57 million children are not in school. Millions of people have had to leave their homes because of war. People are tortured. Children are recruited into armies.  Indiscriminate attacks are carried out against civilians. The inequalities between rich and poor are increasing. This is the world that we live in as we commemorate the 67th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights.

Published 10/12/2015