RC Trebucq's Remarks at the Public Information Campaign Unveiling Marking UDHR 75 in Antigua and Barbuda

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

•    Hon. Gaston Browne, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Corporate Governance

•    The Hon. E.P. Chet Greene, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade, and Barbuda Affairs

•    Members of the Diplomatic Corps

•    Representatives of Government

•    Representatives of Civil Society Organizations

•    UN colleagues

I am honoured to join the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and its people in this ceremony to unveil a public information campaign on human rights. The campaign combines signage and Tik-Tok messages and will serve to raise awareness about several human rights issues. 

I welcome the opportunity to mark a unique anniversary with all of you: 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 



As we saw in the introductory video, the Declaration has given rise to a set of values we share across communities and societies. It has guided the work of the United Nations and importantly, it is at the foundation of the Sustainable Development Goals.



Without the Universal Declaration, our common understanding of the dignity and equality of all human beings, regardless of age, gender, origin, race, religion, disability or other factors may not have been inscribed in many treaties, constitutions and laws around the world.  

Dear colleagues and friends,  

Let me share a few thoughts and reflections with you: 

1.    First, on 10th December the UN Secretary-General stated that (I quote): “The world is losing its way. Conflicts are raging. Poverty and hunger are increasing. Inequalities are deepening. The climate crisis is a human rights crisis that is hitting the most vulnerable hardest. Gender equality remains a distant dream.” 

We cannot commemorate the Universal Declaration without recognizing the complexity of the challenges the world is facing nowadays, especially since some - like the climate crisis - are crucial for the Caribbean and will be a core of the discussions in the upcoming SIDS Global Conference.

2.    Second, there have been very important human rights steps in Antigua and Barbuda in the last years, welcomed at the Human Rights Council – UPR review in 2022, and by the Inter American Commission latest report. 

To name a few in various areas:  

•    In 2019, the ratification of the two International Covenants, [on Civil and Political Rights, and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights] is the strongest of signals for domestic protections of the all human rights -whether access to justice and due process of law, freedom of expression, or social security and the right to physical and mental health.  



•    In 2020, the National Social Protection Act, and the ratification of the “Escazu Agreement”, a unique regional tool to protect environmental human rights defenders, and ensure access to information and participation on the right to a healthy environment [official name: Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean]



•    And in 2022, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme ‘s ruling that found the criminalisation of sexual activity between consenting same sex adults as unconstitutional.

We encourage you to continue this momentum. Further harmonizing your legislation with international human rights treaties and establishing a national human rights institution could be crucial next steps. Needless to say, you can count on us in the UN to assist and provide technical cooperation and substantive support in these areas. 

3.    Third, as we ramp up the focus on the SDGs, it is essential to keep in mind that everyone plays a key role:  this is a whole of society endeavour and an interconnected type of work for all sectors. Progress on the SDGs means progress for those persons and groups at risk of being left behind, like children and youth, women, persons with disabilities and the elderly. 

And for this to be achieved, inclusion and participation in the discussions and decisions about the present and future is critical. All priorities in the Caribbean, whether related to digitalization and technologies, renewable energies, Disaster Management, or employment, education and gender equality, require public awareness, information sharing, clarity about its human rights dimensions and a vision of the common good. 

Dear participants, 

In closing I want to commend the various participants of the SDG Art Competition as well as the National Youth Parliament for their contributions to the campaign we are unveiling today. 

Barbados and other Caribbean Countries, for their commitment to HR; as they have, through CARICOM, promoted a recently adopted Human Rights Council resolution to open a sub-regional office of the HC for HR for the Caribbean. Congratulations! 

We, the United Nations in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, renew our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights for all. We reiterate our support to the work of the Government and the people of Antigua and Barbuda in this joint goal. 

Thank you.