Today we celebrate the international Human Rights Day – and there is much to think about
Blog by John Wilkes, Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council
10 December is Human Rights Day. This is an important annual date in the Scottish Refugee Council calendar reflecting that our mission and work is about human rights.
Article 14 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights signed on 10 December 1948, sets out that “Everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution”.
The principles of refugee protection were further set out in the International Refugee Convention of 1951. These two documents form the international basis that ensure people fleeing persecution have the right – the human right – to seek safety and sanctuary in another country.
That’s why this day is so important to us.
Lessons from Nelson Mandela
The celebrations today are this year tinged with sadness at the death of Nelson Mandela, one of the world’s greatest Africans and exponent of the principles of human rights. In South Africa today there will be a memorial service for Nelson Mandela attended by over 50,000 South Africans and many international figures and world leaders. This is the mark and measure of the extraordinary life and work of this man who we at Scottish Refugee Council were proud to have as our patron.
His links to our work and Scotland and Glasgow go back over many decades. In 1981 Glasgow was the first city in the UK to give Nelson Mandela the freedom of the city which at the time was a hugely controversial move. Scottish Refugee Council had a special connection with Nelson Mandela through the work of one of our former chairs, Professor David Walsh, a leading activist in the struggle against apartheid.
Our most significant document is the letter from Nelson Mandela accepting our invitation to become our patron while he was President of South Africa. This hangs in our reception alongside his portrait. It will be one of our memories of our association with him and his association with causes supporting the most disadvantaged in our world.
He suffered significant oppression and persecution by the former apartheid regime in South Africa and had he chosen to leave and seek asylum he would have inevitably become a refugee under the protection of the Refugee Convention. I think it is this understanding that he had of the issues around persecution that made him such a supporter of the refugee cause.
We are saddened at his passing but will today celebrate his contribution and achievements and dedication to the cause of human rights.
Why human rights are important
The Human Rights Declaration is the best ethical and rights framework that human civilisation has developed so far setting out the basic rights of every human being, how we should expect to be treated and how we should treat each other, both as individuals and in societies.
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible.
Clearly many of the rights defined still aren’t able to be enjoyed by everybody, but that is the goal – the aspiration – of this very living document. It’s something that the human race should work towards.
The challenges today
There remain many challenges to overcome in our pursuit of the realisation of the vision of the Human Rights Declaration both within our country and internationally.
Refugees fleeing persecution who seek sanctuary and asylum in Britain are still often denied those basic rights that we all enjoy. The job of Scottish Refugee Council is therefore to stand up for those people who often have no voice and to explain to our fellow citizens that providing protection is part of our global responsibility to our fellow human beings. Nothing more, nothing less. Human Rights Day is an opportunity to speak out and remind ourselves and our fellow citizens that offering refugees protection and sanctuary is not our option but our duty.
Development of human rights
The Declaration of Human Rights and Refugee Convention are not static documents but should be seen as living ones that adapt and change to reflect the new challenges of the 21st century.
When the Refugee Convention was enacted in 1951 some issues were not included such as recognizing the persecution faced by many for their sexual orientation. This is still the case today in many countries of the world. However the convention has been interpreted over the decades to take account of changing attitudes and understanding.
There are new threats and challenges. Regrettably it is likely in the modern world of globalisation and increased movement that people will seek protection from economic inequality and environmental crisis. These are issues that will need to be faced up to by the world and the appropriate human rights frameworks and understanding developed to meet these growing challenges.
Our part onwards
Scottish Refugee Council will continue to play its part as a human rights organisation to ensure that we treat everybody that we support, provide services for and engage with in that spirit.
We will continue to speak out against injustice and campaign for better legislation and support for those seeking sanctuary here in Scotland and the UK.
We look forward to a future where Human Rights Day is celebrated by all citizens across the world.
