UN launches exhibition to mark 70th anniversary of Universal Declaration of the Human Rights in Azerbaijan

The launch event brought together some 80 participants from the government agencies, United Nations, Parliament, civil society, academia and the media.

The exhibition highlights what UDHR means for people in their everyday life and how it empowers them by establishing the equal dignity and worth of every person. It also marks the conclusion of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based, the international campaign that calls to end violence against women and girls around the world.

“The principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration are as relevant today as they were in 1948. They call us to stand up for our own rights and those of others and to uphold the rights that protect us all,” Ghulam Isaczai, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan, said in his opening speech.

Opening session also included speeches from Elmira Suleymanova, Human Rights Commissioner of Azerbaijan (Ombudsperson), Bahar Muradova, vice-speaker of the Milli Majlis (Parliament), and a video message by Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The exhibition will give visitors an opportunity to explore each of 30 articles of the Universal Declaration in cartoons submitted by cartoonists all over the world and see a series of posters created by 40 renowned graphic designers, illustrating their perception of human rights and inviting everyone to stand up for human rights. Further, visitors will be invited to look at and collect various human rights-related publications and educational materials printed by UN agencies.

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December – the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Drafted by representatives of diverse legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration sets out universal values and a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. It is the most translated document in the world, available in more than 500 languages.