EU, UN and Public Defender launch Human Rights Week 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.