International Human Rights Day
December 9, 2015
The Community of Democracies stands with human rights defenders and civil society organizations around the world on this 65th International Human Rights Day.
Warsaw, Poland
December 10, 2015
Community of Democracies Statement on International Human Rights Day
The Community of Democracies stands with human rights defenders and civil society organizations around the world on this 65th International Human Rights Day.
“Human rights are the building blocks of democracy,” Secretary General Maria Leissner said. “That’s why we are particularly concerned about the brazen behavior of those who seek to undermine civil society by restricting basic rights, including freedom of association and expression.”
One of the Community’s priorities during the U.S. presidency (2015-2017) is to counter efforts to shrink the space for civil society around the world, thereby protecting the fundamental human rights enshrined in the Warsaw Declaration that 106 countries endorsed in 2000.
The Permanent Secretariat, working at the direction of the Community’s 28-member Governing Council, has undertaken a series of projects designed to support the work of non-governmental organizations engaged in human rights activities around the world.
The Community of Democracies is an intergovernmental organization that is committed to driving the global democracy agenda through common action.
