Press Statement by Gwyn Lewis United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh on Celebrating Human Rights Day 2022

Dhaka, 7 December 2022: On 10 December, we mark International Human Rights Day. The day on which the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, entitling everyone, regardless of race, colour, sex, religion, political or other views to inalienable rights.

This year we have seen the consequences of crises driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, the devastating Ukraine war and climate change that have disproportionately impacted the most vulnerable across the world, impeding their access to basic services, to be protected and their right to live in peace. 

Remembering the Declaration that says that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” the UN in solidarity with all Bangladeshis, recommits itself to uphold the core values of dignity, equality and liberty, including of thought and conscience. 

As Bangladesh is coming closer to its national election next year, we remind Bangladesh of its commitments, as a UN member state, to free expression, media freedom, and peaceful assembly among others written in the Declaration. We reaffirm UN’s full support to Bangladesh in upholding its commitments.

Ours is a shared humanity rooted in universal values. A threat to the rights of one person is a threat to the whole of society. Celebrating Human Rights Day is an opportunity to reflect on what we have in common with each other and what that binds us together.