Human
Rights Day
Commemorated around
the world, today is Human Rights Day.
The date was chosen to
honour the United Nations (UN) — General Assembly's adoption and
proclamation, on December 10, 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR),
the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first
major achievements of the new UN.
The formal
establishment of Human Rights Day occurred at the 317th Plenary Meeting of
the General Assembly on December 4, 1950.
This year's day is
also significant in its celebration of the 20th anniversary of the
establishment of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Events took place at
the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva last week and will be held at the New York
headquarters today.
The UN General
Assembly created the mandate of High Commissioner for the promotion and
protection of all human rights in December 1993.
Happenings marking the
day in Cyprus include a Monday, December 16 event in Nicosia honouring Cypriot
human rights pioneer Alecos Modinos.
Co-organised by the
NGO Accept-LGBT Cyprus, the Ombudsman's Office, the European
Parliament Office in Cyprus and the European Commission
Representation in Cyprus, the Greek-language event will see Modinos honoured
for his efforts over the last six decades to promote human rights in general
and particularly secure rights for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender) people in Cyprus and all Europe.
Being held at
Famagusta Gate from 6pm, the December 16 event will include the screening of
short film on Modinos' life and work and an address by prominent local lawyer
Achilleas Demetriades who took the Modinos cases to the European Court of
Human Rights.
Addresses will also be
made by Ombudsman Eliza Savvidou, deputy head of the European
Parliament Office in Cyprus Alexandra Attalidou, head of the
European Commission Representation in Cyprus George Markopouliotis and
Accept-LGBT President Costas Gavrielides.
A recorded message by
EuroMP and Co-President of the European Parliament's Intergroup on LGBT issues
Michael Cashman is to be screened and Modinos will also be speaking at the
event.
Modinos in 1993
secured a European Court of Human Rights victory over the Cyprus government.
Modinos --who was in a gay relationship at the time - claimed that he
"suffered great strain, apprehension and fear of prosecution by reason of
the legal provisions which criminalise certain homosexual acts."
Prior to the ruling,
the Cypriot government had openly admitted that homosexuals would not be sought
and prosecuted but at the same time stated that they would not approve any laws
to safeguard the rights of gays and lesbian
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