Today, there is a triple anniversary: 70 years from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 20 years from the European Charter of the Safeguarding of Human Rights in the City and 20 years of the Asian Human Rights Charter. From the IOPD we want to celebrate it by emphasizing the importance of ensuring an active and mobilized citizenship to defend these fundamental rights because participation and associations are common axes in these 3 texts:

"Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives" 
Universal Declaration of Human Rihgts

"The citizens in various city districts or their associations can voice their opinions over which measures they consider necessary to help realize these rights [set out in the Chart]" 
European Charter of Safeguarding of Human Rights in the CIty

"A humane and vigorous civil society is necessary for the promotion and protection of human rights and freedoms, for securing rights within civil society and to act as a check on state institutions. Freedoms of expression and association are necessary for the establishment and functioning of institutions of civil society"
Asian Human Rights Charter

Moreover, under the motto "Bring Human Rights Home", UN Human Rights wants to make the most of this international day to highlight that local governments play a key role in the protection and promotion of human rights. It's precisely at this territorial level that rights take a unique and important sense and we must especially defend them.

We encourage all IOPD members to take part of this celebration using the hashtag #Cities4Rights in Twitter