The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in collaboration with the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Mauritius, released this morning an explanatory Booklet on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Facemasks and ecofriendly bags were also launched on that occasion. The Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, and the Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Vincent Degert, were present for the ceremony.
This initiative, falling under the “Promotion of Respect for Human Rights in Mauritius and Rodrigues”project, has been financed by the EU. The items launched are meant for dissemination amongst students and civilians during the sensitisation activities organised under the project.
In his keynote address, Minister Ganoo underscored that promoting Human Rights education is one of the main objectives of the NHRC and that the Commission has, since its creation, been working on this goal. The NHRC has been able to bring a better understanding of the scope of Human Rights among the population through the holding of workshops, talks and other activities, he stated.
The Minister also stressed that Human Rights education aims not only at raising citizens’ awareness of their rights, but also at empowering them to recognise the limits to their rights as well as to respect the rights of others.
Furthermore, Mr Ganoo pointed out that educating young people about Human Rights serves to instill in them a sense of values that will accompany them for the rest of their lives. He added that our Constitution, which is based on the European Convention on Human Rights, protects our fundamental rights, notably: the right to life; the right to freedom; freedom of expression; protection against discrimination and; other rights on which a democratic country is founded.
The Minister also underlined that the State has gone far to ensure and protect rights that are not covered by our Constitution such as economic, social and cultural rights. The State implements measures to ensure the right to health; education; decent housing and; social security such as old age pension and assistance to the most vulnerable. It is in this context that, during the tough period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the State aided private sector employees and the self-employed through financial schemes and also launched a free vaccination campaign against the COVID-19, he indicated.
Minister Ganoo emphasised that the purpose of the Booklet launched today is precisely to make people understand their rights and duties better and also to guide young and the public on the meaning of human values and rights. He also lauded the EU for its unflinching contribution in the reinforcement of this mission through generous funding over the past three years.
For his part, Ambassador Degert, indicated that the very spirit of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that all human beings are born free and equal in rights and dignity. In this context, he stressed that it is the duty of all to rally for the defense and promotion of Human Rights.
With the launch of this booklet, Mr Degert stated, we undertake a concrete act to promote Human Rights, universal and indivisible rights and, along with the Government, we will continue to be committed to this area and will continue to work together.
He also recalled that this project, launched in November 2017, has enabled the NHRC to raise awareness on Human Rights among more than 15 000 people including more than 3 500 young people ranging from 10 to 20 years old. This is the second explanatory booklet of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights launched by the NHRC, after the launch of the booklet entitled ‘Youth and Human Rights’ on January 27, 2021, the Ambassador added.