Fabian Hamilton

I am delighted to have secured this Adjournment debate to mark international Human Rights Day, which we remember annually across the world on 10 December. I first declare an interest as chair of the all-party parliamentary human rights group, whose purpose is “to raise the profile of international human rights issues within Parliament and to investigate and publicise human rights abuses occurring”. The group is one of Parliament’s most long-standing APPGs, set up in 1976 by the late human rights champion Lord Avebury, and one of its most active, with at least one event a month and often many more. I also declare an interest in what I am about to say, as I am chair of the British group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Last week, the all-party parliamentary human rights group held a reception organised jointly with Amnesty International UK to mark Human Rights Day. It was very well attended, showing that the protection of human rights across the world is an issue that transcends party politics and matters greatly to many of my parliamentary colleagues right across the political spectrum. International Human Rights Day commemorates the adoption of the universal declaration of human rights by the United Nations General Assembly on this day in 1948. The universal declaration, whose 75th anniversary the human rights APPG celebrated last year in Parliament, is founded on the principle that “All human beings are born free and equal”. It has set the standards by which states must treat their citizens and provides the basis on which Governments can be called out and held to account for not doing so. The universal declaration has had a profound impact since, having inspired and paved the way for the adoption of more than 60 human rights treaties at global and regional levels and having provided the basis for the 2030 UN sustainable development goals. At the individual and collective level, the declaration has protected millions and empowered many to stand up against abuse and tyranny, and for equality and justice.