While we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year, the full enjoyment of these rights remains an elusive goal in various parts of the world. Over the decades, the Declaration's core purpose has been to uphold human dignity by promoting all human rights, including freedom of expression, the right to peaceful assembly, and the right to education. Additionally, the UN Declaration on the Right to Development adds momentum to the cause of human rights by promoting freedom to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development. However, in many parts of the world human rights defenders are unrelentingly repressed and in extreme cases subjected to arbitrary arrests and sham trials.

The panel session ‘Standing Up for Human Dignity: Upholding the Foundation of Human Rights’ will tackle the reality of rampant human rights violations all over the world, including breaches of freedom of expression, the right to peaceful assembly, and the right to education. It also seeks to strengthen the protections over human rights defenders. The session will also explore how human dignity enshrined in the right to development is being upheld in international politics and in the framework of the global economic system. The session will also take up the true nature of human dignity regardless of gender, race, nationality, country of origins and other differences.