MEDIA RELEASE Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer

FA151

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY CELEBRATED

10 December 1997

Today marks the beginning of the 50th anniversary year of the proclamation by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The Universal Declaration is the cornerstone of the international human rights system; the foundation on which the two International Covenants on civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, and other global human rights instruments, have been built. The Declaration establishes internationally recognised human rights standards applicable to all persons without qualification. It proclaims universal and fundamental freedoms which transcend national, religious and ideological boundaries.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan, has called for all nations to support the reinvigoration of the international system for the promotion and protection of human rights and highlighted the objective of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to mainstream human rights into United Nations activities system-wide. The Secretary-General will have Australia's full support.
To mark the occasion, I am pleased to announce the preparation of a new edition of the Human Rights Manual first published by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1993.
The Manual has proved extremely popular and has been widely used as a training aid, university text and public information source in Australia and overseas. It is being revised to reflect the Coalition Government's outcomes-oriented approach to human rights and to take account of recent developments in the international human rights field.
It is I believe appropriate that such a proven, practical and effective instrument for promoting knowledge and understanding of international human rights norms and practice should be a focus of Australia's attention on this important anniversary.

Beijing