Human Rights Day: UN chief praises role of rights defender

Laws to protect and promote human rights are indispensable, says Ban Ki-moon.

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations marked Human Rights Day on Friday by shining the spotlight on the “largely unsung heroes,” the human rights defenders who risk dismissal, harassment, torture, jail and even death for their activities.

“Laws to protect and promote human rights are indispensable,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message. “But quite often, progress comes down to people, courageous women and men striving to protect their own rights and the rights of others, determined to make rights real in people’s lives.

Diverse in background, sometimes part of a civil society organisation, or a journalist or a lone citizen, they all share a commitment to expose wrongdoing and stand up, speak, and today tweet, in the name of freedom and human dignity,” he added.

“Far too often, their work entails tremendous risk. Defenders are harassed, stripped of their jobs and wrongfully imprisoned,” he said

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2010.