GovWire

Saturday 10 December marks UN Human Rights Day, which commemorates the day on which the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

To mark this, the Foreign Office hosted an event attended by over 100 guests to focus on civil society and democracy an important strand of the departments human rights work.

Complementing the United Nations chosen theme for this year of stand up for someones rights today, the event emphasised the importance of a strong civil society and honoured the work of human rights defenders.

It also underlined the importance of NGOs and wider civil society in promoting respect for human rights and in helping states to achieve long-term security and sustainable economic development.

Baroness Anelay said:

All around the world peoples human rights are under threat, so the role of civil society and human rights defenders has never been more important.

A shrinking civil society harms a countrys stability, economic prospects and wider social development. Providing space for civil society to operate is therefore crucial to the spread and strengthening of democracy all around the world.

An active civil society is the hallmark of a mature society; one that is open to challenge and able to protect the rights of its citizens. Governments should not only allow but proactively nurture a healthy civil society. They should commend human rights defenders not condemn them.

This is the message that we will continue to promote both at home and abroad as we stand up for human rights.

Amarildo Fecanji - Executive Director LBGTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey, Ruth Hunt - Chief Executive, Stonewall, William Gelling - High Commissioner to Rwanda, and Thomas Hughes - Executive Director, Article 19 also took part in a panel discussion at the event.Promoting human rights is integral to the purpose of all British diplomatic missions, as they work with international partners and organisations to promote safer, more inclusive, prosperous societies.

Notes for editors

• You can read Baroness Anelays speech here.

• This year the Foreign Office is funding 129 human rights projects in over 60 countries through our Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. Since 2014 the Fund has supported nine NGO-led projects focussed specifically on the work of human rights defenders.

• The UK has been a member of the Human Rights Council for 8 of the last 10 years and was re-elected last month for a further three-year term.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Baroness Anelay on Twitter @JoyceAnelay

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

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