10th of December - Human Rights Cannot be Paused...

HREYN statement on #internationalhumanrightsday 

2020 has been a turbulent year for the world, the pandemic has brought an unprecedented burden on human rights, yet it was still a year of uncovering deep-rooted issues of social injustices. 

Unfortunately, COVID-19 has exacerbated the accessibility to social rights for many of already marginalised communities. In addition, it gave some of the duty-bearers a possibility to forget about their obligations, on the one hand, we’ve seen examples of restricting the civil and political rights, and on the other hand, risk people’s lives for political gains. Human rights should be applied in turmoil as well. 

2020 was also a harbor for the uneasiness caused by the murder of George Floyd, which was a phenotype of racial injustice and structural discrimination growing malignant in the system. Oppression dehumanises both the oppressors and the oppressed. It’s our task to achieve humanity for all and this is the driving force for human rights. 

We, hereby, join our fellow human rights activists to celebrate International Human Rights Day, and we pledge to restlessly support human rights and values that underpin them. We demand that the States, as duty bearers, fulfil their obligations with regard to the international human rights framework.

One cannot just pause human rights, human rights come first, dignity and respect come first, humanisation comes first.

Artwork by our member - Timur TURUSBEKOV