Human rights

The following is based on a presentation by Dr. Aaron Rhodes at the Seminar, “Challenges and Opportunities of Our Time,” held in the Parliament of the Czech Republic on 25 November 2016, hosted by MP Nina Nováková under the co-sponsorship of UPF.

Intervention of Dr. Antonio Stango, Secretary General, Italian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, at the international leadership conference in London in September, 2016, on the topic of “Is migration a right and is hospitality an obligation?”

Following up on the Vienna Round table, 17 politicians, experts, academics and NGO representatives from 5 nations gathered in Budapest on Monday 24, October 2016 for a Round table convened by Hon. Nina Nováková, member of the Czech Parliament and Mr. Jacques Marion, Secretary General of UPF Europe.

Some 25 politicians, experts and NGO representatives from Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Austria gathered for a Round Table on “Family Values, Family Policies, European Culture: Challenges and Opportunities in Central Europe Today” on July 8, 2016, in Vienna.

The global agendas for the 21^st century are marked by an enhanced focus on the human being, on the citizen and on societies in addition to the traditional addressing of issues related to governments and states. Peace is not any more the achievement of governmental armament, defended borders and related policies but, as the title of our meeting indicates, the result of value structures of societal cultures carried by the human being and by societies.

London, UK - "Human Rights: Are Democratic Nations Upholding a Better Standard?" was the theme of a European Leadership Conference Nov. 21-22, 2013 in the Houses of Parliament in London.

Rev. Dr. Marcus Braybrooke, a retired Anglican priest, now holding the position of President of the World Congress of Faiths, chaired the the Inter-Religious Inclusion in Europe session of the European Leadership Conference on the theme, "Human Rights: Are Democratic Nations Upholding a Better Standard?",  held on November 21-22, 2013, in the Houses of Parliament, London, United Kingdom.

Presentation by Peter Zoehrer, Chief Editor and Secretary General of FOREF-Europe, at the European Leadership Conference on the theme, "Human Rights: Are Democratic Nations Upholding a Better Standard?",  held on November 21-22, 2013, in the Houses of Parliament, London, United Kingdom.

Intervention by the Rt. Hon. Baroness Sandip Verma, Member of the House of Lords, United Kingdom, at the European Leadership Conference on the theme, "Human Rights: Are Democratic Nations Upholding a Better Standard?",  held on November 21-22, 2013, in the Houses of Parliament, London, United Kingdom.

Intervention by Mr Ahmed Shebani, founder of the Democratic Party in Libya, at the European Leadership Conference on the theme, "Human Rights: Are Democratic Nations Upholding a Better Standard?",  held on November 21-22, 2013, in the Houses of Parliament, London, United Kingdom.

Intervention by Justina Mutale, African Woman of the Year 2012, at the European Leadership Conference on the theme, "Human Rights: Are Democratic Nations Upholding a Better Standard?",  held on November 21-22, 2013, in the Houses of Parliament, London, United Kingdom.

Presentation by Timothy Miller, Vice President of UPF-Europe during session 'The Human Rights of Immigrants and Refugees in Europe' European Leadership Conference London, House of Lords, November 22nd 2013.

Intervention by Hon. Dr. Michael Frendo, former Speaker of the Maltese Parliament and former Foreign Minister of Malta, at the European Leadership Conference on the theme, "Human Rights: Are Democratic Nations Upholding a Better Standard?",  held on November 21-22, 2013, in the Houses of Parliament, London, United Kingdom.

Intervention by Mrs Illario Esposito, Member of the CoE Advisory Council on Youth, at the European Leadership Conference on the theme, "Human Rights: Are Democratic Nations Upholding a Better Standard?",  held on November 21-22, 2013, in the Houses of Parliament, London, United Kingdom.

Intervention by Rev. Dr. Marcus Braybrooke, President, World Congress of Faiths, United Kingdom, at the European Leadership Conference on the theme, "Human Rights: Are Democratic Nations Upholding a Better Standard?",  held on November 21-22, 2013, in the Houses of Parliament, London, United Kingdom.

Intervention by Mark Brann, Secretary General, UPF Europe, at the European Leadership Conference on the theme, "Human Rights: Are Democratic Nations Upholding a Better Standard?",  held on November 21-22, 2013, in the Houses of Parliament, London, United Kingdom.

Is there a distinction to be made between “cults” or “sects” and religions? Should religious freedom be only accessible to so-called historical religions and their members? Should other minority religious or spiritual movements called “sects” or “cults” be denied the enjoyment of the provisions of international declarations and covenants guaranteeing freedom of religion or belief?

I would like to use these brief remarks to offer some perspectives on the notion of “multiculturalism,” and to share my concerns, as a human rights advocate, about threats to fundamental human rights in Europe posed by some interpretations of multiculturalism.

The UN Convention  on the Rights of the Child (United  Nations  1989, CRC) is a binding international  contract in the framework of the United Nations, and thus obliges legally the ratifying  nations  – indeed  all UN  members  besides  the  United  States  and  Somalia  – to implement  its  provisions.  This  is a mayor  milestone  to  recognise  children,  i.e.  everyone under  the  age  of  18,  as  citizens  with  human  rights,  and  consequently  responsibilities. Through  this  convention,  children  are  conceived  as subjects  of society  – like  all human beings  – and  not anymore  as mere  objects  of protection  (Verhellen  2000).

Ms. Illario Esposito, member of the Council of Europe Advisory Council on Youth and Trainer in Human Rights Education, first showed a video about the Advisory Council on Youth for the Council of Europe dealing with human rights (see www.coe.int/enter). She explained that In terms of human rights education, the Council of Europe speaks about all the issues that young people are facing today.