Islamabad, 24 April 2015: Aiming at enhancing the understanding about the human rights principals the United Nations in Pakistan published an Urdu version of the UDHR and launched it at the Speaker’s Corner session, held during the National Book Festival in Islamabad.

Dr. Jacqui Badcock, Resident Coordinator a.i. opened the session and briefed participants about the historical back ground of the UDHR and concept of the human rights among different civilizations. She said that an understanding of the articles of the Declaration allows us to debate the principles behind legal solutions applied in national laws, such as Part II of the Constitution of Pakistan – Fundamental Rights and Principles of Policy.

Francesco d’Ovidio, who is the Country Director of International Labour Organisation (ILO) and chair of the Human Rights Task Force in the United Nations in Pakistan further elaborated the universal nature of human rights and said that every individual is a rights-holder and is entitled to the same rights without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. He informed that Pakistan was one of the initial signatories of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and shares a heritage of this ‘common commitment’ to human rights. Pakistan has also ratified seven of the nine core human rights treaties.

The Universal Declaration for Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted on 10 December 1948 as the “common standard of achievement for all peoples and nations”. The Declaration for the first time in human history spelled out basic civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that all human beings should enjoy.

Moderated by the UNIC Director, Vittorio Cammarota, the Speaker’s Corner was jointly organised by the United Nations System in Pakistan and the National Book Foundation in Islamabad