Human Rights Day: Ojukwu Calls For Concerted Efforts To Protect Human Rights For Sustainable development

The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu, has called for concerted efforts at improving the protection human rights, saying that without it there can be no development.

He called for transformative and practical actions that will enhance a just and fair society.

He noted that human rights are at the heart of sustainable development goals and the bedrock of human dignity without which, there cannot be sustainable development.

He spoke after leading a procession around the Central Business District, including Eagles Square in Abuja, as part of activities marking the World human rights day marked every December 10th.

The National Human Rights Commission joins the rest of the global community to celebrate the International Human Rights Day every December 10th.

It is a day set aside to recognise and honour the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. This year marks the 72nd anniversary of the International Human Rights Day.

The Executive Secretary of NHRC stated that the declaration marks a watershed rights protection, serves as a powerful instrument which defines the fundamental rights and freedoms of people, and has indeed impacted greatly on people’s humanity around the world.

This year’s theme “Recover better, Stand up for Human Right” is linked to the COVID 19 pandemic, a situation which caught the whole world off-guard, having not prepared for it.

He said the pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of humanity and the gaps in human rights protection mechanisms, citing concerns with “the alarming levels of spread and severity in some parts of the world.”

He maintained that human rights must be at the centre of COVID-19 pandemic recovery programme.

According to him, “All government agencies are therefore reminded of the need to maintain human rights in their post COVID-19 recovery efforts if we must achieve in sustainable way the MDG and entire development agenda.