Human Rights Day: Freedom, Equality and Justice for All

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 and sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.  The United Nations have chosen “Freedom, Equality and Justice for All” as the 2023 theme. Continue reading

Today is Human Rights Day: Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world. This year on Human Rights Day, the United Nations kick off a year-long campaign to promote and recognise the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 2023. Continue reading

EC Commission Tackles Abusive Lawsuits Against Journalists: Procedural Law Impact

On 27 April 2022, the European Commission presented its proposals “to improve the protection of journalists and human rights defenders from abusive litigation.” These proposals are intended to prevent so-called “strategic lawsuits against public participation” or “SLAPP lawsuits”. Continue reading

Human Rights Day 2020: IBA Webinars, 10/11 December 2020

On the occasion of this year’s Human Rights Day, the IBA Business and Human Rights Committee and the IBA Human Rights Law Committee have put together a day of virtual events – actually, taking into account time differences across the globe, the three sessions are spread out over two days from a European time zone’s perspective. Session 2 on the impact of human rights on businesses is particularly timely, given the recent legislative initiatives in Germany, the EU and elsewhere – the Swiss will be voting on this coming Sunday on an initiative called “For responsible businesses – protecting human rights and the environment”.The proposed legislation would require Swiss companies to examine whether they can comply with internationally recognised human rights and environmental standards when carrying out their business operations. Swiss companies would be liable for damage caused by companies that they control. However, they will not be held liable if they can prove that they complied with their due diligence obligations. Continue reading