Threat to one’s right is threat to society

A threat to the rights of one person is a threat to society as a whole, UN resident coordinator in PNG Gianluca Rampolla says.
To mark the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, Rampolla said too often human rights violations in PNG are committed with impunity, impacting the right to access justice and equality before the law.
He said the UN reiterated its call for the government to defend the civic space and to strengthen engagement with civil society while supporting the most vulnerable.
“The UN welcomes and appreciates the openness of the PNG government on human rights, including hosting the first official visit to PNG of the UN high commissioner for human rights in February,” the envoy said. “We are also encouraged that during the high commissioner’s visit, the government expressed its commitment to expedite the process of establishing a national Human Rights Commission, a critical accountability and oversight mechanism.
“As the theme states, ‘Stand up for human rights’, the UN calls on all Papua New Guineans to make human rights their business and to use their individual capacity to stand up for human rights in their lives.”