5주차｜사회·노동·인권 (+ 난민·이주)_이주현_Human Rights Day 2024

[이주현]

Human Rights Day 2024: Lord Collins' speech

고유명사 많은 부분만 편집했습니다.

FCDO's Minister for Human Rights, Lord Collins of Highbury, gave a speech at a stakeholder event to mark International Human Rights Day.

From:Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Lord Collins of Highbury

Published:11 December 2024

Location:Foreign Office, King Charles Street, London

Delivered on:10 December 2024 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

738단어

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/human-rights-day-2024-lord-collins-speech

Human Rights Day 2024: Lord Collins' speech

Glossary

1	Becky	베키	케냐 출신 인권 옹호자.
2	Council of Europe	유럽평의회	민주주의, 인권, 법치주의 증진을 목적으로 하는 유럽의 국제기구.
3	Human Rights Council	유엔 인권이사회	유엔 총회 산하 인권기구로, 국가별 인권 상황과 주요 인권 의제를 논의한다. 문맥에서는 영국이 2026년부터 시작하는 이사국 임기에 출마한다는 의미.
4	International Criminal Court, ICC	국제형사재판소	집단살해죄, 전쟁범죄, 반인도적 범죄, 침략범죄 등에 대한 개인의 형사책임을 심리하는 상설 국제재판소.
5	International Humanitarian Law, IHL	국제인도법	무력분쟁 중 민간인과 부상자 등을 보호하고 전쟁의 수단과 방법을 제한하는 국제법 체계.

Welcome everyone.

It’s great to see you all – both here in the room and all of you online joining from our overseas network.  

At its heart, human rights are about our inherent dignity.

The idea that everyone, regardless of who they are, should be treated with respect.

For me, human rights, rule of law and democratic governance are not just abstract values.

They are powerful enablers for the key missions of this government.

Indeed, the missions of our government, including economic growth, can enable the realisation of rights.

Since I took office, I have seen much of the great work we do to support human rights and democratic governance across the world.  

I passionately believe in our ability to make a positive impact.

But only a coherent approach, working in partnership with others, can deliver the impact we want.

So as Human Rights Minister, I want to share my 5 priorities to help deliver the key missions of the government.

First, I want to focus on defending civic space and fundamental freedoms. 

Because one of the most important ingredients of a healthy democracy is a vibrant civil society and it enables people to hold their governments to account.

Yet a third of the world’s population today lives in countries with a closed civic space.

Clearly we need to find better ways of empowering local civil society.

So we will change the way we work with them.

Prioritise their sustainability and help them advocate for the needs of the communities they serve.

And we will promote media freedom to ensure free flow of reliable and trustworthy information.

Finally, we must support human rights defenders, including trade unions and those promoting workers’ rights, who sometimes risk their lives by speaking out.

We are doing that by refreshing our human rights defender guidance and redirecting funding to support those at risk.

I am delighted that Becky, a Human Rights Defender from Kenya, will be joining our discussion later today, someone who I met earlier on and heard her first hand account. It’s her voice that we need to hear, not simply government voices.

My second priority, is upholding the rule of law.  

We are committed to the institutions that promote the international rule of law, including the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

We need to build and broaden alliances, and listen to the views of others, even where we might disagree.

To that end, I am pleased to confirm‎ that we are bidding for another term on the Human Rights Council from 2026.

It also matters that perpetrators of atrocities know that justice awaits them. 

That’s why we strongly support an effective and independent International Criminal Court.

But accountability is not just about justice in international courts, but justice at the local level too.

So we are helping Ukraine build capacity to investigate and prosecute allegations of war crimes in its own judicial system.

And in Nigeria we are sharing best practice with prosecutors on dealing with vulnerable witnesses such as children, and survivors of sexual violence.

We will also continue to promote compliance with International Humanitarian Law.

And I of course, cannot talk about that without mentioning Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is catastrophic and completely unacceptable.

We will work tirelessly with international partners to bring about a ceasefire,  release of hostages, and get aid flowing.

Finally, in my new role, I will put survivors of conflict-related sexual violence at the heart of our approach, helping amplify their voices and strengthen our collective action.

My third priority is to champion equal rights for all.

Stalling progress on the rights of women, girls, LGBT+ people, and those belonging to other marginalised groups is troubling.

Those fighting the backlash, often face violent reprisals.

Now more than ever, we must stand in solidarity with them.   

We will advocate for the rights and freedoms of women and girls at every opportunity.

That includes sexual and reproductive health and rights.

And we will support Women’s Rights Organisations and challenge harmful disinformation.

When it comes to women in politics, I know how stark the challenge is.

That’s why we will work with female parliamentarians to address barriers to their political empowerment.

We have also announced a ground-breaking global programme to tackle online violence and abuse against women and girls around the world, backed by more than £27 million of funding.

Finally, we will defend the rights of people belonging to vulnerable and marginalised groups.