During the 75th Commemoration of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights held at the United Nations human rights hub in Geneva, the World Jewish Congress, alongside UN Member States and other civil society organizations pledged to the UN to advance the cause of human rights across the globe. The WJC submitted three pledges to the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to be implemented in the upcoming years, with a primary focus on combating antisemitism, addressing Holocaust denial and distortion and advocating for the protection of human rights of the Jewish people.
Given the swift proliferation of harmful ideologies posing a threat to democratic societies, particularly in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Israel on October 7th, 2023, the World Jewish Congress committed to enhancing its efforts against the glorification of terrorism and antisemitism, both in offline and online domains. This commitment reflects WJC’s commitment to curbing the spread of hateful ideologies, supporting minority rights and preventing the future recurrence of genocidal events.
The United Nations was built on the ashes of the atrocities of Second World War and the Holocaust, the genocide of 6 million European and North African Jews. The Universal Declaration for Human Rights (UDHR) stipulates in its preamble that “disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind.” In light of this, WJC pledged to expand its activities around Holocaust remembrance and against its denial and distortion, which not only disrespects the memory of the millions of innocent people and perpetrates antisemitism, but also undermines the historical basis of the UN and the UDHR.
WJC experts were important stakeholders in drafting the UDHR including, amendments to article 26 of the UDHR on the right to education, which called for education that strengthens “respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms” and that promotes “understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups.” Building on this influential historical legacy, the WJC pledged to continue to advocate for education in a spirit of understanding, respect, and friendship among all nations and to develop tools and initiatives in this regard.
Unfortunately, the Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the UDHR was marked yet again by unrelenting bias against the State of Israel and the spread of hateful narratives, with complete disregard for the negative impact such prejudice has on the Jewish people around the world.
Read more about UN’s one-sided approach here.
