(December, 10.2011) At the end of an extraordinary year for human rights, let us
take strength from the achievements of 2011, said UN Secretary General, Ban ki Moon,
specifying that new democratic transitions have been set in motion, new steps to
ensure accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity, new and ever-spreading
awareness of rights themselves. He was marking Human Rights Day, Saturday 10 December,
when we remember the creation 63 years ago of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
He concluded his message saying, “ As we look to the challenges ahead, let us take
inspiration from the example of human rights activists and the timeless power of the
Universal Declaration, and do our utmost to uphold the ideals and aspirations that
speak for every culture and every person.”. Earlier on the eve of Human Rights Day
UN Human Rights Chief, Navi Pillay in New York, took part in a global social media
conversation on human rights. In her message she said “In 2011, human rights went
viral. During the course of this extraordinary year, it was wielded not just by mighty
institutions in marble buildings, but increasingly by ordinary men, women, and even
children, courageously standing up to demand their rights. In the Middle East and
North Africa, many thousands have paid with their lives, and tens of thousands have
been injured, besieged, tortured, detained, and threatened, but their newfound determination
to demand their rights has meant they are no longer willing to accept injustice.