COSATU observes International Human Rights Day

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) observes International Human Rights Day, which is honoured every year on the 10th of December. On this day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): a milestone document proclaiming the inalienable rights which everyone is inherently entitled to as a human being regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

COSATU believes that every day should be Human Rights Day: a day on which we work to ensure that all people can gain equality, dignity and freedom. Together, we must demand what should be guaranteed: our human rights, universal, indivisible, inalienable, for everyone. We also have the duty to ensure that all vulnerable persons’ voices are heard.

We call upon all states to take steps to end acts of violence, criminal sanctions and related human rights violations committed against individuals in their countries, for various reasons. As we observe and commemorate International Human Rights Day today, COSATU reaffirms its unwavering position of standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Palestine, Venezuela, Cuba, Western Sahara and Syria. We call for the end of the gross human rights violations in these countries, and many others globally, where political and social liberties have been taken away from citizens. Finally, we call upon Special Procedures, treaty bodies and other stakeholders to continue to interrogate these issues within their relevant mandates.

Mabunda-Kaziboni

Cosatu International Secretary

110 Cosatu House

Cnr Simmonds and Jorisson Street

Braamfontein

Johannesburg 2017, South Africa

Email: sonia@cosatu.org.za