“The essential thing in my daily life is my family, a sense of belonging, knowledge, security and the freedom to speak, do and live as I see fit,” he responded.
With the help of artificial intelligence, UN News has analyzed the most popular topics based on responses submitted by people around the world, from the freedom to “enjoy nature” to “live in peace.”
Ms Van Genderen Stort spoke to UN News about the campaign and what the responses say about today’s world.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
UN News: What responses from the campaign caught your attention the most?
Astrid Van Genderen Stort: Each answer shows exactly how human rights are essential to our daily lives. As a human rights defender, I was especially moved by the responses: “being human for all beings,” the “right to live my culture,” and “speak and live without fear.”
These statements are a testament to the problems that many people still face, or face again, around the world and the times in which we live. They make me feel even more determined and committed to doing my job.
UN News: What do the answers say about the world we live in today?
Astrid Van Genderen Stort: Many people suffer and live in very difficult circumstances. However, what stands out to me from all the answers is that people all over the world, whether in Afghanistan, the United States, Mexico and many other places, want the same thing and value the same thing: their basic human rights, their everyday needs: a safe place to live, access to education, to be recognized as equal human beings, freedom to explore and enjoy.
This is the essence of our campaign: human rights are not some crazy thing that we cannot influence; They are the basis of our existence and everyone has a role to play in ensuring their fulfillment.
UN News: Many respondents mentioned family, nature and clean water. What can be done for people who do not enjoy these rights?
Astrid Van Genderen Stort: In these times of high conflict, it is imperative that we continue to monitor, inform and defend those whose rights are being violated. We have done this through the voice of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, and our communication and media colleagues. Through statements, reports, stories and social media, we document and drive accountability.
UN News: Which rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) have seen the most progress since the document was drafted in 1948, and which have seen the least progress?
Astrid Van Genderen Stort: Overall, we have seen progress on many of the rights represented in the UDHR. Article 26, the right to education, has seen the greatest improvement. From 1950 to 2023, the percentage of literate adults increased from 56 percent to 87 percent globally. To put it another way, in 1950, when the UDHR was adopted, only one in two adults worldwide could read or write. By 2023, that number had increased to nine in 10 adults worldwide.
The article that has made the least progress has been article 15, the right to nationality. At the time of the 75th anniversary of the declaration, one in four children in the world, 166 million, did not exist on paper.
UN News: Why did OHCHR decide to use the theme “Human rights, our everyday essentials” for this year’s Human Rights Day campaign?
Astrid Van Genderen Stort: The UN human rights office has been one of the bulwarks against growing cynicism about human rights, marked by misinformation, insecurity and a move towards more authoritarian policies. It is in this period of turbulence and unpredictability that we saw the need not only to reaffirm the values of human rights, but also to demonstrate that they remain a winning proposition for everyone, everywhere, every day. Human rights are in so many small actions and things that we take for granted. They are in the air we breathe, in the food we eat, in the books we can read. Like atoms, human rights are fundamental; They make up everything.
UN News: What is the purpose of the international day and why should people be aware of their rights?
Astrid Van Genderen Stort: UN international days serve as reminders, commemorations and celebrations. They are an opportunity to highlight particular issues or remind us of events or movements that have helped shape us. International Human Rights Day reminds us that the rights we enjoy are ours, inalienable and attainable. They can be violated if we do nothing to defend them. Everyone needs to know their rights so they can claim and ultimately defend them.