Liberal Party of Canada statement on Human Rights Day

December 10, 2014

“Today, we celebrate the 66th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the international Magna Carta for the promotion and protection of human rights in our time.

“It is important that we recall and reaffirm its founding principles that ‘all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights;’ ‘that the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family are the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world;’ and ‘that human rights are universal, interdependent and indivisible.’

“The Universal Declaration has been source and inspiration not only for international covenants on human rights but also for our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In short, it has been the source and inspiration for the building of domestic and international justice systems, and for the celebration of human rights as a statement not only of who we are but what we aspire to be.

“On behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada and our Parliamentary Caucus, I reaffirm our unyielding commitment to safeguard fundamental human rights both here at home and abroad.”