Human Rights Day 2018

EU, UN and Public Defender of Georgia Launch Human Rights Week 2018

December 10, 2018

Photo: Peter Schoen/UNDP

The European Union, the United Nations and the Public Defender of Georgia (PDO) launched a joint communication campaign dedicated to Human Rights Day 2018. Communication activities marking 70 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will include a number of events as well as a social media and TV campaign.

Today, on 10 December, International Day of Human Rights, the European Union, together with the Public Defender of Georgia and the United Nations, launched Human Rights Week 2018 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, Carl Hartzell, Ambassador of the European Union, stated "This year we mark the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human rights are fundamental to the European Union and for its relations with Georgia. Together with our partners we will continue to stand up for human rights worldwide."

Nino Lomjaria, Public Defender of Georgia, remarked, “Today the whole world celebrates Human Rights Day, the main message of which is joining efforts to fight for equality, justice and human dignity. 70 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we still talk about the achievements and challenges in the field of protection of human rights and freedoms in Georgia. The core principles of the Public Defender's activities are based on the spirit of the Declaration, which is of particular importance for achieving high standards of human rights in the country.”

"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a living document, universal in scope and fiercely relevant to every individual. Fundamental rights stated in the Declaration are as important now as they were 70 years ago. Although the Declaration has been accepted by nearly every state in the world, its implementation still presents a challenge to many countries", said Munkhtuya Altangerel, Acting Head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Georgia.

Human Rights Week 2018

The Delegation of the European Union, the United Nations and the Public Defender of Georgia are running a joint communication campaign to raise awareness for human rights in Georgia. A launch event was held outside of Rustaveli Metro Station in Tbilisi. The Campaign under the slogan “I raise my voice for human rights”, calls for respect and protection of human rights and includes a number of activities taking place during the week:

The launch event included the opening of an open-air photo exhibition curated by Kolga Tbilisi Photo. It showcases seven projects funded and supported by the European Union that focus on human rights issues in Georgia. The seven featured projects underline fundamental values of the EU such as human dignity, equality and justice. The exhibition will be shown for a week outside of Rustaveli Metro Station in Tbilisi.

Furthermore, the EU funded project "Human Rights for All” implemented by UNDP presented the newly published online platform "StandUp4HumanRights.ge", which is built around the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Users can discover the Declaration in a visual and user-friendly way and gain a better understanding of human rights in the Georgian context.

The week before Human Rights Day Tbilisi International Film Festival featured seven films depicting current human rights issues. The Delegation of the European Union awarded film Girl, directed by Lukas Dhont, with the "EU Human Rights in Film Award". Furthermore, the participating film "The silent revolution" directed by Lars Kraume was presented to young filmmakers followed by a comprehensive discussion on the subject.

Throughout Human Rights Week the EU, UN and the PDO will run a focused communication campaign on TV and social media highlighting human rights in Georgia. Citizens are encouraged to participate in the campaign by tagging themselves with the hashtags #standup4humanrights and #ადამიანისუფლებებიჩვენია.

More events will take place throughout Human Rights Week. Journalists are invited to attend all events.

·        Monday, 10 December, 14:00. The Parliament of Georgia will hold a Conference on Parliamentary Oversight on Human Rights where Andro Ojasalu, UNDP Expert from Estonia will share good practice models on parliamentary oversight.

·        Friday, 14 December, 18:00 – 20:00. EU and UNDP conduct Human Rights evening with the 30 readers of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to discuss their views and emotions inspired by the documentations. (Tbilisi Mediatheka, Vake Branch, 76 Chavchavadze Ave., Vake Park, Tbilisi)

·        Friday, 14 December, 14:00. EU and UN conduct a public lecture on human rights at Ilia University with a closing event of a contest for students’ essays on human rights. (Ilia University, Tbilisi)

·        22 November – 14 December, EU and UN conduct public lectures on human rights in Georgian universities in regions (Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Batumi, Akhalkalaki, Telavi, Tbilisi)

·        22 November – 7 December, A series of training for lawyers of the Georgian Bar Association focusing on combating discrimination and hate speech. (36, Dzmebi Zubalashvilebi St, GBA training center, Tbilisi)

Background Information

Human Rights Day, December 10, is observed worldwide every year to commemorate the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year it marks the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 2018 the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, the United Nations and the Public Defender's Office are marking Human Rights Day with the slogan "I raise my voice for human rights", built upon the stand-up call to action #standup4humanrights.

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