On 8 December 2025, to commemorate International Human Rights Day, UPF Düsseldorf hosted an evening of information and discussion.
After welcoming remarks, a video of UN Secretary-General António Guterres' 2024 address set the mood for the topic. Guterres warned urgently that human rights are under massive pressure worldwide. He criticized the increase in armed conflicts, the strengthening of authoritarian governments and increasing discrimination and violence. He expressed particular concern for the restriction of press freedom and a regression in the rights of women and minorities.
In the talk that followed, Sergio Brina, the leader of UPF-Düsseldorf, made it clear that peaceful coexistence does not work without clear rules. There was, however, no universal agreement that enshrined individual rights until the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations on 10 December 1948.
Mr. Brina pointed out a historical peculiarity: of the 58 UN member states at the time, only 48 cast their votes. This was mainly due to the geopolitical situation of the post-war period, as many areas in Africa and Asia were still under colonial rule and were not sovereign states. From Africa, only Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa took part; Ethiopia was the only country in Africa that had never been colonized. However, the South African apartheid regime of the time abstained because it rejected the principle of equality for all people.
Although the Declaration is not a legally binding treaty under international law, it still enjoys enormous moral and political significance today. It serves as a recognized benchmark for the protection of human dignity worldwide.
UPF sees it as its core task to support the United Nations in its commitment to peace and the protection of human rights. Current developments such as the attacks on Christian minorities in Syria and Ethiopia underline the urgency of this commitment.
UPF currently has in addition a concern close to the heart; its founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon has been in custody in South Korea for over two months, on a charge of having been compliant in giving gifts to the wife of a former president. Sergio Brina sharply criticized the prison conditions and the lack of humanity shown by imprisoning an 82-year-old woman with known cardiac and eye problems solely because of the alleged risk of flight. Currently, several other religious figures are imprisoned in South Korea.
In conclusion, Mr. Brina appealed to those present to understand human rights not as a mere document, but as a daily obligation. The foundation laid 77 years ago must be strengthened and defended together. Universal human rights are the basis for a peaceful and just international community, and it is important to reaffirm this commitment every day.
The lecture was well received and appreciated with much applause. After a question-and-answer session, the participants took the opportunity to exchange ideas about the evening's topics over refreshments.