By Ariane do Carmo Silva
International Human Rights Day is commemorated on 10 December following the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights approved by Resolution 217 A (III) of the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. Its purpose is to achieve a world public order based on respect for dignity and confirming basic universal and indivisible values intrinsic to the human condition.
The participation of the Brazilian delegate Austregésilo de Athayde, chosen as speaker at the session approving the aforementioned Declaration, is noteworthy.the Declaration was the product of an intellectual and moral cooperation of nations. It did not result from the imposition of "particular points of view of a people or a group of peoples, nor of political doctrines or systems of philosophy", but rather the strength that came from the diversity of thought, culture and conception of life of each representative.
However, we are currently surrounded by an unforeseen health crisis, with innumerable consequences in various fields of this society, revealing the excessive inequality that surrounds us and highlighting the deficiencies and violations in the protection of civil and political rights associated to economic, social and cultural rights.
Therefore, we commemorate the date with the awareness that this is the moment for solidarity and cooperation in common effort in the challenge that the pandemic imposes on us, for the realization of the commitment made by the States in the promulgation of this Declaration with the aim of promoting universal respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms belonging to every person.
