Think Centre invite all Members of Parliament to read, understand, respect, and practice the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in daily life. All citizens must be capable of knowing and defending their own rights, thus human rights education be initiated, to live with dignity in a globalized world.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights [UDHR] was adopted 55 years ago, this week, on December 10, 1948. The UDHR was drawn to specify the general obligations of the United Nations Charter. All UN member states have the obligation to respect human rights.
The Singapore government must understand that material well-being to the individual is only a basic precondition in the search for security, freedom, cultural and self-expression. To promote human rights is not necessarily the pre-cursor to debilitating acts of confrontation or dissent.
It is more to protect individual rights and represent their collective interest in potential unequal and unfair positions where they seek remedies from discrimination and abuses.
Civil society organizations [CSO] are partners of the government to promote peace, justice, and development. The government needs to work in partnership with civil society. The government must put people at the centre of everything it does.
Civil society and the government should encourage and promote the value of freedom of expression, association and assembly. CSOs give life to the pledge "We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society based on justice and equality so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation".
1. remove old and outdated OB markers, policies, laws and restrictions on public speech, assembly, and the ISA. If the ISA is to continue to exist, it should only be applied under a state of emergency and approved by the parliament.
2. fulfill its responsibilities to ensure that workers have a decent and just living wage and sufficient time for meaningful participation. The government bears the primary responsibility to ensure workers are not mere digits of economic growth. They are human beings with dignity.
3. respect and promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [UDHR]. Public education through media of the UDHR and to introduce training on human rights protection to civil servants, law enforcement, judicial officials and political leaders.
4. implement compulsory school education on human rights starting with the UDHR and fundamental values to live with dignity in a globalized world. All citizens must be capable of knowing and defending their own rights, thus human rights education be initiated.
CALL TO ACT
We invite all Members of Parliament to read, understand, respect, and practice the Declaration in daily life.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights [Simplified format]
Sources and Relevant Links:
".... the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world"
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
All UN Member States have pledged themselves to achieve the Universal Declaration of Human Rights promoting universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The International Bill of Human Rights.
The International Bill of Human Rights consists of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its two Optional Protocols.