December 10: International Human Rights Day

On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner today said that there is still much to be done in making human rights a reality in the life of every child, woman and man around the globe.

"The situation in countries like Myanmar/Burma or Sudan/Darfur is but a stark reminder of our common challenge, which is to move from the era of codification of human rights, which was inaugurated nearly 60 years ago with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, into an era of effective and worldwide application and protection of human rights," said Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner. "We still have a long way on our road to a genuine human rights culture."

The European Union is determined to promote and protect human rights as an integral part of its external policies. In 2007 the European Commission launched the new European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR). With a total budget of 1.1 billion euros for 2007—2013, EIDHR will provide direct funding to civil society organizations and human rights defenders throughout the world.

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