Message of the UN Philippines Resident Coordinator for the Human Rights Celebration of the Commissioner on Human Rights

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me first congratulate the Commission on Human Rights on your leadership in organizing Human Rights Consciousness week, culminating in this event. It has been inspiring and energizing to see the many events organized during this week, on a broad range of human rights topics.

The global theme for human rights day this year is “equality”, with the tagline “all human, all equal”. This principle of equality is based on the notion that every human being has the same worth, and therefore the same right to a dignified life.

Equality has the power to help break cycles of poverty; it has the potential to allow quality education for all young people, in the Philippines and worldwide; it makes societies stronger, by allowing all to contribute their skills and talents; and it is the opposite of the marginalization and discrimination which are so often a root cause of conflict.

This year, the world continued to face challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Some 50,000 persons have died in the Philippines. Each a person in their own right, with families, friends and colleagues. This pandemic has emphasized what we already knew: that to address global challenges requires solidarity, within and between countries.  Equal access to vaccines, information, and universal health-care is critical, not only for individuals – but collectively. Likewise, measures taken by Governments to protect people from the virus, must take into consideration the impact on the most vulnerable and seek to address pre-existing inequalities.

To speak about equality, one must speak of gender equality. I am delighted to see the “Right the Ride” jeepney here. Ending violence against women and girls is a critical element of gender equality – which the UN Secretary General has called “the single most effective measure we can take to create more stable, peaceful, resilient and prosperous communities and societies”.

The Jeepney campaign reminds me of another bus-campaign. Most people know the story of Rosa Parks, the black seamstress who sparked the civil rights movement in America when she refused to give up her seat to a white man. But did you know that the actions that transformed the “spark” into fundamental change, was based on years of strategizing and planning? It is the ongoing work of thousands of unnamed activists that keeps the flame alive.

Therefore, I wish to pay tribute to the many human rights defenders who continue their challenging work in all parts of the Philippines. The indigenous rights workers and  organizations of persons with disabilities.  Those who advocate for labour rights, for freedom of speech, for environmental rights, for the rights of prisoners, and the right to health, food and education for all. In civil society, in the Commission on Human Rights and in government. The UN stands with you in your advocacy, and we continue to call for your protection. 

This year, the UN in the Philippines embarked, for the first time, on a Joint Programme on Human Rights. This Joint Programme highlights the commitment to work together with a broad range of actors towards the promotion and protection of human rights, with the support of our development partners. The UN Joint Programme on Human Rights brings together different actors to find solutions to complex challenges. This is not always an easy task, but these challenges cannot be resolved by trainings and expertise alone. Resolving them requires leadership and courage. For human rights to really take hold, they must become, what UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called “The Highest Aspiration”.

Looking forward towards the next year, the United Nations urges all parties to ensure that human rights are respected in the context of the elections. The UN will also continue to support domestic initiatives to strengthen accountability for killings and other serious human rights violations and abuses. Another important milestone will be the review of the Philippines before the Universal Periodic Review. And importantly, the UN will also continue to promote human rights based approaches through the implementation of humanitarian, development and peace initiatives outlined in the Socio-economic and Peacebuilding Framework.

Let me end this intervention with paying tribute to Chairman Jose Luis or “Chito” Gascon. He remains a shining light of the human rights movement in the Philippines, and a great inspiration to me personally. Thank you, Chairman Chito, for your inspiration. We will keep pounding the rock.