Tuesday, December 10th, 2024
Human Rights, including social and environmental rights, are at the foundation of just and peaceful societies. On Human Rights Day, Pax Christi International repeats its call for an effective Human Rights implementation which guarantees justice and respect for the dignity of each human being, in harmony with the Creation.
We are especially concerned this year by the apparent crisis of the United Nations system, and its inability to solve current conflicts. Dialogue and diplomacy should be reinstated at the heart of multilateralism, instead of military alliances that seem to prevail today.
Legal mechanisms like the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) play a crucial role in holding perpetrators accountable and preventing future atrocities. We urge all states to support ongoing investigations and comply with all their obligations under international law, including Human Rights Conventions, the Rome Statute and International Humanitarian Law.
Human Rights Defenders and Defenders of the Creation are key actors in ensuring all people have their rights respected. Through nonviolent action, they seek the promotion and protection of civil and political rights as well as the promotion, protection and realisation of economic, social and cultural rights. However, they face threats, legal persecution, violent attacks, enforced disappearances and death because of their engagement. As a means to enhance their protection, Pax Christi International participates in the campaign “La vida pende de un hilo” – Life is hanging by a thread, by the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) and allied organisations, presented yesterday. This campaign will raise awareness by increasing the visibility of emblematic cases, and promote concrete actions against social indifference and impunity.
