UN News asked Astrid Van Genderen Stort, OHCHR chief of external engagement and partnerships, about hers.
“My everyday essentials are my family, a sense of belonging, knowledge, safety and the freedom to speak, do and live the way I deem best,” she responded.
With the help of artificial intelligence, UN News has analysed the most popular themes based on the answers submitted by people across the world, from freedom to “enjoy nature” to “living in peace”.
Ms. Van Genderen Stort spoke to UN News about the campaign and what the responses say about the world today.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
UN News: What responses from the campaign stood out to you the most?
Astrid Van Genderen Stort: Every answer shows exactly how human rights are essential to our daily life. As a human rights advocate, I was particularly touched by the answers: “to be human to all beings”, the “right to live my culture” and “speaking and living without being scared”.
These statements are a testimony to the issues so many people still, or again, face around the world and the times we are in. They make me even more determined and committed to doing my work.
UN News: What do the responses say about the world we live in today?
Astrid Van Genderen Stort: Many individuals are suffering and living in very difficult circumstances. Yet what stands out to me from all the answers, is that people all around the world, whether in Afghanistan, the USA, Mexico and many other places, want the same and value the same: their basic human rights, their everyday essentials — a safe place to live, access to education, to be recognised as equal human beings, freedom to explore and enjoy.
This is the essence of our campaign: human rights are not something far-fetched, which we cannot influence; they are the basis of our existence and everyone has a role to play to ensure they are adhered to.
UN News: Many responders mentioned family, nature, and clean water. What can be done for the people who don’t get to enjoy those rights?
Astrid Van Genderen Stort: At these times of high conflict, it is imperative for us to continue to monitor, report and advocate for those whose rights are being violated. We have done so through the voice of High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and our communications and media colleagues. Through statements, reports, stories and social media, we document and push for accountability.
UN News: Which rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) have seen the most progress since the drafting of the document in 1948, and which have seen the least?
Astrid Van Genderen Stort: Overall, we have seen progress on many of the rights represented in the UDHR. Article 26 — the right to education, has seen the biggest improvement. From 1950 to 2023, the percentage of literate adults rose from 56 per cent to 87 per cent globally. To put it another way, in 1950, when the UDHR was adopted, only one in two adults worldwide could read or write. By 2023, that had jumped to nine in 10 adults globally.
The article with the least progress has been Article 15, the right to nationality. At the time of the 75th anniversary of the declaration, one in four children globally, 166 million, did not exist on paper.
UN News: Why did OHCHR decide to go with the theme “Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials” for this year’s Human Rights Day campaign?
Astrid Van Genderen Stort: The UN human rights office has been one of the bulwarks against increasing cynicism regarding human rights marked by mis- and disinformation, insecurity and a move toward more authoritarian policies. It is in this period of turbulence and unpredictability that we saw a need not only to reaffirm the values of human rights, but to show that they remain a winning proposition for everyone, everywhere, every day. Human rights are in so many small actions and things that we take for granted. They are in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the books we are able to read. Like atoms, human rights are fundamental; they make up everything.
UN News: What is the purpose of the international day and why should people be aware of their rights?
Astrid Van Genderen Stort: UN international days serve as reminders, commemorations and celebrations. They are a chance to highlight particular issues or to remind us of events or movements that have helped to shape us. International Human Rights Day reminds us that the rights we enjoy are our own, inalienable and attainable. They can be violated if we do nothing to advocate for them. Everyone needs to know their rights, so they can claim them and ultimately defend them.
