AKEL on World Human Rights Day
The practical safeguarding of human rights is linked to the struggle for a more advanced society of solidarity, freedom and social equality
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 9th December 2019, Nicosia
The safeguarding of human rights at an international, European and national level is one of the most important steps in humanity’s progress and a major gain of modern societies and peoples of the world. However, the blunt truth is that the day every human being on the planet will enjoy their human rights, equally and without hindrance still remains a vision, not a reality.
Everyone declares respect for human rights. But the enemy of human rights is not something abstract.
It is the economic policies being pursued with a specific class content that are undermining the right to housing, work, education and health care.
It is the system and profits of the big companies that are impeding the right of each and every one to live in a clean and sustainable environment.
It is the states and governments that are afraid of the popular struggles which they are attacking with brute police force and through the suppression of individual and collective freedoms, together with the use of the filing of people and violation of people’s privacy.
It is the state’s indifference and the privatization of social responsibility which leaves people with disabilities subject to an unbearable daily life of discrimination and prejudice, leaving children and families without social welfare support.
It is racism, sexism and homophobia that reproduce the inhumane treatment of refugees, violence against women and discrimination against LGBTI people.
That is precisely why AKEL stresses that the practical safeguarding of human rights for all is linked to the struggle for a more qualatively advanced society of solidarity, freedom and social equality. Besides, it is not accidental that it is stressed that human rights – political freedoms and socio-economic rights – are universal, indivisible, complementary and interdependent.
On the occasion of today’s World Human Rights Day, AKEL underlines the urgent need for Cyprus to fully comply with all UN human rights recommendations and observations on international human rights treaties.
At the same time, in our homeland, due to the occupation and division of our country and people, there is an ongoing and mass violation of numerous human rights of the Cypriot people. The solution of the Cyprus problem based on principles and in line with the agreed basis and framework, the liberation and reunification of our homeland we are fighting for will bring the restoration of the basic freedoms and human rights of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
